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Jones in LA
··Not in LA anymore.With all the hiking I’ve done in the local mountains, and coastal preserves I’ve never seen a rattlesnake. Heck I even IDed and collected a snake that ended up expanding it’s recognized distribution. Kings, gophers, 4 types of lizards... not a single rattler of any flavor!
im also the only person to dive extensively in the Bahamas and never see a nurse shark...
Yes, the hills near our home (the Santa Monica Mts.) are unusually snake-y in my opinion. When I encountered that snake the other day I was on high rattler alert because of the weather condition that day: it had been very cold overnight, and when I was hiking it was warm, with the Sun shining from high in the sky -- perfect for illuminating a narrow trail surrounded by thick brush. Rattlesnakes, being cold-blooded, need to be warmed up to pursue prey, and to flee from predators. Lying in the shade on a cold morning just won't cut it for a warm-up, so they head for the first open spot they can find in order to sunbathe -- in this case, the trail. When I first saw this snake, it was stretched out full length on the trail, completely motionless as it soaked up the Sun.
