Outdoor Oddities » Snakes

Snake and Falcon in Death Grip

Joe Beitler — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 11:55:21 +0000

This is a great story. Read this and then view the photos.

This has to be the weirdest thing that ever floated by me in the river.

They were stuck together in death lock, each wanting to kill the other first.

My guess is that the falcon snatched up the tasty snake, and it somehow got its tail around the falcons neck, strangling it in midair causing both of them to crash into the comal river. They are both alive and well, considering.

I think a few more minutes and the snake would have won. The tail was actually tied in a knot around the neck, and getting tighter by the second. I got the snake untied, and well, as you can see, they both made it.

This is another one of those stories you tell, and are always acknowledged with “yeah, right!” Well, here’s the proof.

Neither of them bit me or scratched me, the snake didn’t want to stop biting the falcons leg, and only let go after I had untied everything else.

I got the water out of the falcons lungs with birdie inversion technique, and stayed with him until he was almost dried off in the sun, and flying a little.

Ball of snake and falcon, that is the weirdest thing I have pulled out of the water so far, it beats the wagon wheel!

Snake and Falcon locked in a death grip

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Huge Rattle Snake near Austin Texas

Joe Beitler — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 11:41:15 +0000

OK, so rattlesnakes are not that odd, and huge ones, even though rare, are not that odd either. What struck me about these pictures is that a rattler could consume a very large rabbit. And, of course, the email came with the typical warning to be on the look out for snakes in the area and that this monster was in the back yard as kids were playing in the front yard.

Large Rattler near Austin Texas

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Photos of Random Outdoor Oddities

Joe Beitler — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 11:40:12 +0000

I receive a lot of pictures of weird things. Thought I’d post a few of them here.

Monster Crocodile in the Congo
Giant Grizzly Bear
Giant Texas Gator
Dog tangles with a Porcupine
Human Remains found in a Crocodile (yuck)
Albino Whitetail Fawn
Giant Fish
Giant Spiders of Iraq

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A Snake having Lunch Roadside in Arizona

Joe Beitler — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 15:48:19 +0000

Wow. These are really cool photos of a snake consuming a monitor lizard. Reportedly in Arizona.

From my email “These pictures were taken by one of the the road crew at Cloudbreak, Arizona last week. It took a total of 5 hours for the snake to finish off the Goanna (Sand Monitor). As you can see, they put some signage up so it wouldn’t be run over.”

Huge Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake

Joe Beitler — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 13:02:35 +0000

Get a gander at this huge eastern diamondback rattlesnake. Reportedly the largest ever recorded.

HUGE!

Another view of this beast

Wow.

It’s hard to tell from the photos if they killed this sucker. It would be a shame to kill such a magnificent creature. Although, I usually follow the philosophy that the only good snake is a dead snake — you know — the kind you see in jars of formaldehyde.

I’d like to to see the rattle on this one. Anyone have additional photos?

Woodpecker vs Snake

Joe Beitler — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 13:15:39 +0000

This one has been around awhile now. I’ve seen it come to my inbox via email numerous times. Still, it is an amazing video of the tenacious defense of a nest by a woodpecker.

The last time this came to me it was noted that the woodpecker was a “Mexican” woodpecker. I don’t know what that is. It appears to me that this is a common Pileated Woodpecker that makes it’s home all over the United States.

Rattle Snakes in Palo Duro Canyon – Texas

Joe Beitler — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 09:38:28 +0000

Heree’s a few photographs of Rattle Snakes in Palo Duro Canyon, Texas. IT sounds like these were found in the State Park there.

Rattle Snakes in Palo Duro Canyon - Texas

Humongous Western Diamondback Rattlesnake

Joe Beitler — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 19:13:39 +0000

I wonder if your snake-proof boots would stop a monster western diamondback rattlesnake of this size. Something tells me, no. This sucker would probably strike you in the thigh. I wonder how many wouldn’t wet their pants when running across this giant. Seems I recall that you can tell the age (in years?) of a rattle snake by counting the number of rattle segment on it’s tail — something related to how many times it sheds its skin. Any herpetologists out there? I count 14 segments. Very impressive, no doubt.

I hope the hunter had the common courtesy of mounting its hide and consuming its flesh after killing such a beautiful specimen.

Wow.

Maybe it's just perspective? Paralax from the camera lens?

Maybe it’s blown out of proportion due to the camera lens. Kind of like when you catch a fish and you want your picture taken. You hold the fish as far out in fron of you as possible to make it look bigger. I’ve heard that, anyway. Ahem.

Maybe he’s holding it that far out in front of becuase he’s not 100% convinved it’s dead…

Very long snake

Joe Beitler — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 23:13:15 +0000

This snake was reportedly filmed in an Australian snake farm.

Mating Rattlesnakes

Joe Beitler — Tue, 13 May 2008 22:01:13 +0000

Today’s feature is a series of pictures that show how rattlesnakes court. They intertwine, twist, writhe, raise up and then fall to earth in a effort to exhaust the opposite sex. If the male outlasts the female then they copulate.

Baby rattlesnakes are born with the ability to inject venom. Rattlesnakes are commonly called poisonous when they should be more accurately described as venomous.

What do you do in Texas when you see such a spectacular sight? Well, first you shoot the rascals…