[00:00:10]
SO THIS IS A LITTLE AMERICAN ALLIGATORS, NOT A CROCODILE.
ONE OF THEM JUST FLEW THE LOW COUNTRIES TO LOTS OF SNAKE SPECIES.
MOST ARE NOT VENOMOUS AND HARMLESS, BUT WE DO HAVE A FEW POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SPECIES, INCLUDING THREE KINDS OF RATTLESNAKES.
SO LET'S GET OUT IN THE FIELD AND TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT THESE VENOMOUS, BUT ECOLOGICALLY IMPORTANT SNAKES TODAY, WE'RE OUT LOOKING FOR THE BIGGEST RATTLESNAKE SPECIES IN THE WORLD.
AND THIS IS EMILY MARSTELLAR AND SHE'S A FIELD BIOLOGIST AND THIS IS HER MASTER'S PROJECT HAS ON WHAT SPECIES, THE EASTERN DIAMONDBACK RATTLESNAKE.
AND TODAY WE'RE GOING TO GO OUT AND TRY AND TRACK ONE, RIGHT? YEAH.
IT'S A PLEASURE TO HAVE YOU HERE.
I'M GLAD THAT WE GET TO GO TRACK A COUPLE TODAY.
SO BEFORE WE GET OUT THERE, AND OBVIOUSLY I'M CHOMPING AT THE BIT TO GO LOOK FOR RATTLESNAKES, BUT BEFORE WE DO THAT, CAN YOU TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOUR PROJECT? YEAH.
AND SO THE PROJECT BEGAN AROUND 2008 WHEN THE MARINE CORPS HERE WAS INTERESTED IN GROWING THE FOREST.
SO THAT MEANT THAT A LOT MORE MARINES WERE GOING TO COME THROUGH THE DEPOT, WHICH MEANS OBVIOUSLY MANY MORE HUMAN WILDLIFE INTERACTIONS.
SO IT KIND OF STARTED IN AN ASPECT WHERE WE WANT TO MITIGATE THAT AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE, BUT ALSO KIND OF FIGURE OUT WHAT'S HERE.
SEE WHAT THE POPULATION IS LIKE.
AND OVERALL, WE'RE INTERESTED IN LOOKING AT THE POPULATION, DENSITY, THE SURVIVORSHIP, THE REPRODUCTION OF THE SPECIES.
AGAIN, IT'S A MARK RECAPTURE STUDY.
SO ONCE WE FIND AN INDIVIDUAL, WE MARK IT AND THEN WE ACTUALLY GO BACK AND LOOK FOR IT ON A WEEKLY BASIS.
UM, AS LONG AS THE TRANSMITTER HOLDS UP.
SO YOU ACTUALLY KNOW WHERE SOME OF THESE SNAKES ARE.
SO I GET TO USE THIS FUN EQUIPMENT AND WE HAVE RADIO TRANSMITTERS ON EACH OF THE RATTLESNAKES EITHER INTERNALLY OR EXTERNALLY.
SO YEAH, I GET TO USE THESE AND TRACK AROUND THE WOODS.
AND YOU HAVE TO WORK FOR YOUR STAFF.
DON'T EMILY, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S REALLY COOL ABOUT THIS IS THIS HABITAT.
NOW I'VE SEEN, I'VE SEEN DIAMOND BACKS IN THE PAST, BUT THEY'VE ALWAYS BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH SANDHILLS GOPHER, TORTOISE BURROWS.
SO THIS IS, THIS IS REALLY, REALLY DIFFERENT HABITAT.
WHEN I THINK OF DIAMOND BAGS, IT'S JUST NOT WHAT I THINK THEY'RE KIND OF UNUSUAL IN THEIR HABITAT SELECTION HERE.
UM, ACTUALLY WHAT MY THESIS PROJECT IS BASED ON, LET'S SEE FIDDLER CRABS AND ALL THE CXI, DAISY, A LITTLE HIGHER AND DRIER HERE.
I FEEL LIKE I WAS TRANSITIONAL MARSH EDGE TYPE HABITAT.
THE ONE YOU'RE LOOKING FOR IS THE ONE THAT MAYBE IS NOT THE ONE MAKING THE BEEPS.
RIGHT? CAUSE THERE COULD BE ANOTHER ONE HERE.
AND RIGHT NOW IT'S A BREEDING SEASON.
YOU'RE LIABLE TO FIND ANOTHER HERE'S ONE RIGHT HERE.
YEAH, HERE'S A, HERE'S A LITTLE BABY RIGHT HERE.
SO THERE'S A LITTLE BABY DIAMOND BACK, RIGHT? RIGHT HERE.
EMILY, YOU THINK THAT'S YOUNG OF THE YEAR? YEAH.
THIS WOULD HAVE JUST BEEN BORN WITHIN THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS.
I MEAN JUST SOCIAL WELL AND ESPECIALLY A LITTLE GUY.
SO HOW BIG ARE THESE WHEN THEY, WHEN THEY HATCH OUT THEIR EMMY SKIN WHEN THEY'RE BORN.
SO THAT'S ABOUT RIGHT, RIGHT THERE.
UM, THEY ARE, YOU KNOW, ROUGHLY 10 TO 12 INCHES, I WOULD SAY ABOUT A FOOT.
UM, BUT THEY ARE BORN LIVE FROM MOM.
THAT'S WHERE THEY GET THE NAME VIPER BY PARA DAY.
SO IT'S LIVE BORN KIND OF IN AN EGG THAT RUPTURES AS THEY'RE BORN.
SO HE'S OUT HERE ALONE WITH ME IS THAT HE ALREADY LEFT MOM.
SO DO WE WANT TO CATCH THIS ONE? JEEZ.
HE'S WATCHING YOU LOOK AT THAT GORGEOUS LITTLE SNAKE.
SO WHAT, SO WHAT'S THE PLAN FOR THIS LITTLE GUY WE'RE REALLY EXPECTING THIS ONE.
[00:05:01]
SO OUR GOAL IS TO GET THEM BACK TO OUR SHED.THAT'S WHY WE WORK UP THE RATTLESNAKE AND WE'LL JUST PUT A PIT TAG IN HIM.
SO HOPEFULLY IN THE FUTURE WE WILL CATCH THEM AGAIN.
AND IT'S GREAT WHEN WE FIND THEM AS A NEONATE, WHICH IS WHAT WE CALL THE BABY.
UM, BECAUSE THEN WE CAN ACTUALLY LIKE APPROPRIATELY AGE THEM.
AND PRETTY MUCH WATCH THEM FOR THEIR ENTIRE, HOPEFULLY WATCH THEM FOR THEIR ENTIRE LIVES.
SO I GUESS NOW WE'D BETTER FIND THE ONE THAT WAS BEEPING.
CAUSE HE'S STILL AROUND GETTING THEM, HEAR THE BEEP.
SO WHAT DO YOU THINK EMILY? RIGHT, RIGHT OVER HERE SOMEWHERE CAN ACTUALLY TELL RELATIVELY HOW FAR WE ARE FROM HIM BASED ON THE SIGNAL THAT I HAVE.
SO EACH OF THEIR TRANSMITTERS HAS A UNIQUE THING NOW.
UM, HIS WAS 8 45 AND JUST SOME DIRECTIONALITY TO THIS ANTENNA.
SO IF YOU POINT IT, THAT'S HOW YOU'RE TELLING WHAT'S WHAT'S WHERE CORRECT? YEP.
WELL, I'M LOOKING AT RIGHT BEHIND YOU.
I THINK I DO NOW JUST HAD TO CHANGE THE ANGLE.
SO HE'S A LITTLE DIFFICULT TO SEE HE'S BEHIND THAT TREE IN FRONT OF US.
SO NORMALLY WE TRY TO SAY, YOU KNOW, TWO TO THREE METERS AWAY SO THAT WE'RE NOT DOING TOO MUCH DISTURBANCE.
UM, BUT FOR THIS PURPOSE, JUST SO WE COULD WOW.
SO, UH, EMILY, HOW BIG IS THIS SNAKE? HE'S ONLY ABOUT FOUR, FOUR AND A HALF FEET.
THEY'RE BY NO MEANS A LONG SNAKE, BUT THEY'RE PRETTY MEATY.
SO MALES ARE USUALLY SOMEWHAT LARGER THAN FEMALES.
THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF SEXUAL DIMORPHISM, UM, ON THE ISLAND.
IT'S A LITTLE LESS NOTICEABLE JUST BECAUSE THEY ARE LIMITED BY FACTORS, SUCH AS, YOU KNOW, PROBABLY ITEMS. THE PATTERN LOOKS SO BRIGHT HERE.
SO IF YOU TAKE A LOOK AT IT, THE RATTLE RATTLE REALLY QUICK, HE ACTUALLY HAS AN INTERNAL TRANSMITTER.
THAT'S WHY YOU DON'T SEE ANYTHING ON HIS RATTLE.
HE HAS THIS ANIMAL HAS A TRANSMITTER IMPLANTED INSIDE IT.
SO HE SLOWED IT OFF A LITTLE BIT.
HE'S NOTICING THAT WE'RE STILL HERE.
SO THE IDEA WAS CRAWL AWAY AT FIRST.
IF THAT DOESN'T WORK AND WE PURSUED A LITTLE BIT, OBVIOUSLY WE'RE KEEPING OUR DISTANCE AND NOW IT'S TURNING FACE.
HE MIGHT SET UP AN AMBUSH AND YOU KNOW, SHOW IS BIG.
SO, BUT TELL ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THIS INDIVIDUAL SNAKE.
HIS NAME IS THOMAS WHAT'S RATTLING.
SO NOW HE'S SUDDENLY FEELING THREATENED.
THERE'S A LOT OF US, THERE'S ONLY ONE OF HIM.
UM, WE DON'T DO THIS ON A DAILY BASIS.
WE NORMALLY JUST WALK UP TO THEM, TAKE THEIR POINT, LEAVE THEM ALONE.
SO WE WON'T HARASS HIM MORE TODAY.
BUT, UM, IT IS COOL TO SEE AND THERE HE GOES, HE'S CALLING OFF.
SO WHAT, WHAT DO YOU FIND THAT THESE ANIMALS ARE EATING HERE ON PARIS ISLAND? SO ACTUALLY LAST YEAR THEY HAD A LITTLE BIT OF A ROUGH YEAR, BUT THIS YEAR THEY SEEM TO BE DOING A LOT BETTER.
UM, I'VE NEVER ACTUALLY WITNESSED, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING GOING DOWN THEIR THROATS, BUT WE SEE A LOT OF MARSH, RATS, UM, RICE, RATS, COTTON, RATS, UM, EAT ANY RABBITS HERE HISTORICALLY, THERE WERE MARSH RABBITS HERE.
UM, HOWEVER, SINCE ABOUT 2014, THERE'S BEEN NO SIGN OF THEM.
UM, WHETHER THAT'S DUE TO ANTHROPOGENIC CAUSES OR MAYBE THE INTRODUCTION OF NEW PREDATORS, WE'RE NOT SURE.
UM, BUT HOPEFULLY, EVENTUALLY, SOMEDAY WE'LL GET SOME SQUIRRELS AT ALL.
UM, IF THEY CAN CATCH A GRAY SQUIRREL, UM, WE ACTUALLY IN THE PAST, SORRY, I KEEP HEARING SOMETHING OVER HERE.
UM, IT'S GOOD TO OCCASIONALLY LOOK BEHIND YOU.
IN THE PAST, UM, WE ALSO HAVE A FOX GIRL PROJECT HERE.
WE'VE ACTUALLY HAD A, UM, FIELD BIOLOGISTS LIKE MYSELF TRACKING RATTLESNAKE.
AND AT THE SAME TIME, ANOTHER FIELD BIOLOGIST TRACKING A FOX SQUIRREL.
AND IT JUST SO HAPPENED THAT THE FOX SQUIRREL WAS INSIDE OF THE DIAMONDBACK RATTLESNAKE, BUT THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN OFTEN.
IT TAKES A PRETTY BIG SNAKE TO EAT IT.
THE RATTLESNAKE THAT YOUR RADIO TRACKING CAUGHT AN EIGHT, THE FOX WORLD THAT YOU WERE TRACKING BUMMER TOO BAD.
I WENT FOR THE SNAKE, BUT NOT SO MUCH FOR THE SQUIRREL.
UM, BUT AGAIN, THAT HAS TO BE A PRETTY BIG SNAKE.
THEY'RE A LITTLE SMALLER THAN THAT.
WELL YOU WANT TO GO LOOK FOR ANOTHER ONE? YEAH.
[00:10:04]
OKAY.SO THERE'S ONE, THERE'S ONE IN HERE.
YOU THINK YOU GOT A READING? DEAR FLIGHTS ARE REALLY BAD HERE.
IT LOOKS LIKE PRETTY ROUGH TERRAIN IN HERE.
SO JUST WATCH YOUR STEP AND MAKE SURE YOU'RE, YOU KNOW, LOOKING UNDERNEATH AND PALMETTO RUN.
AH, UH, WHAT DO YOU THINK WHERE WE'RE JUST, IT LOOK LIKE IT.
UM, SO WE'RE NOT TOO CLOSE TO HER.
SHE HAS AN EXTERNAL TRANSMITTER.
SO I USUALLY ESTIMATE THAT THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, A LITTLE FARTHER, CAUSE THE SIGNAL GETS WEAKER.
A LOT OF DOG FENNEL IN HERE AND OH YES.
IT LOOKS LIKE A PRETTY GOOD PLACE TO HIDE FOR SURE.
SO EMILY, WHAT'S THE BIGGEST DIAMOND BACK YOU'VE EVER SEEN A PAIR OF SILENT.
DON'T YOU THINK PEOPLE HAVE A TENDENCY TO THINK THAT ALL DIAMOND DECKS ARE SEVEN, EIGHT FEET LONG AND A REALITY.
THE BIGGEST ONE EVER CAUGHT WAS APPROACHING EIGHT FEET LONG AND THOSE ARE REALLY RARE.
HERE, THEIR AVERAGE IS FOUR TO FIVE INLAND IT'S YOU KNOW, UP TO SIX.
WHAT A GREAT LOOKING STUMP HOLE.
I MEAN, THEY'LL STILL SIT THERE EVEN IF IT STARTS RAINING.
I MEAN, UNLESS IT'S A DOWNPOUR AND THEY GET FLOODED OUT OF THEIR LITTLE AMBUSH LOCATION, THEY'LL PROBABLY SAY IT'S KIND OF A COOLING MECHANISM.
DO YOU SEE IT? OH, SHE'S TO MOVE NOW.
EMILY SAYS SHE CRAWLED, IT LOOKS LIKE SHE CALLED RIGHT IN THERE.
SHE DISAPPEARED KIND OF UNDERNEATH THIS, THIS, ALL THIS THICK GRASS, I GUESS THAT MAKES KIND OF A NICE LITTLE REFUGE.
SO SHE'S CRAWLED RIGHT OUT FROM UNDERNEATH AND STILL THAT EQUIP TO COLORATION.
THANKS FOR KIND OF HARD TO SEE.
SO HOW BIG IS THIS NECK? EMILY? SHE'S PROBABLY ONLY ABOUT FOUR, FOUR FEET.
SHE LOOKS A LITTLE LIGHTER, LIGHTER THAN THE OTHER SNAKE.
I'VE SEEN SOME REALLY GRAVE PHASE ONES.
I'VE SEEN SOME MORE TAN COLORATION, SOME VERY DARK.
SO THEY, THEY ACTIVELY START TO TONGUE FLICK QUITE A BIT.
WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU APPROACH THEM LIKE THAT TO THIS SNAKES VERY WAS VERY AWARE.
EVEN WHEN WE GOT, WHEN WE WERE W WE WERE A WAYS AWAY, SHE KNEW WE WERE HERE.
IT LOOKS LIKE THE WEATHER TURNED ON US.
DIDN'T LIKE THE RAIN AND CURLED OFF.
SO CAN WE GO BACK TO THE, GO BACK TO THE LAB AND LOOK AT SOME TRANSMITTERS WE'VE GOT TODAY.
SO WHAT ARE THE HAZARDS OF WORKING OUTSIDE? IT'S DEFINITELY PRETTY GOOD.
SO WE'RE OUT OF THE RAIN, BUT YOU HAVE SOME SNAKES YOU WANT TO WORK OUT, RIGHT? OKAY.
SO YESTERDAY, ALISON SHE'S ANOTHER GRAD STUDENT.
SHE'S BEEN TRACKING HER NAMESAKE, SNAKE, ALISON, AND JUST SO HAPPENED TO FIND A MALE WITH HER YESTERDAY.
SO THEY BOTH ACTUALLY NEED A NEW, EXTERNAL TRANSMITTER.
SO THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE TO DO TODAY.
UM, YEAH, THAT'LL BE, THAT'LL BE VERY SAFE, UM, WHERE, YOU KNOW, PROFESSIONALLY TRAINED.
SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S ONE OF THOSE, DON'T TRY THIS AT HOME KIND OF DEALS.
THE HEAD ON IT, HEAD ON IT'S YOU KNOW, THAT LONG OR SO HE'LL DECIDE TO DO THAT THROUGH THE TUBE.
SO WHAT ARE YOU GUYS GOING TO DO WITH THIS ONE? I JUST WANT TO GET HIS LENGTH THAT WE MEASURE THE SNAP TO HIS VENT.
THAT'S A MORE ACCURATE MEASUREMENT.
AND THEN WE'LL DO HIS TOTAL LENGTH.
UM, IT IS A MYTH THAT YOU CAN'T TELL BY THE SIZE OF THE RATTLE.
IT'S CERTAINLY NOT BY NUMBER OF RATTLES, BUT YOU THINK IT'S AT LEAST 10 YEARS OLD? I WOULD SAY SO.
UM, OUR POPULATION IS AROUND THAT AGE OF THE 14, 10 TO 14 RANGE GOT REALLY GOOD BODY WEIGHT.
HE'S TRYING TO MAKE EVERYONE SMELL.
IT'S AN HONOR TO BE BY A RATTLESNAKE PLUS A DIAMONDBACK RATTLESNAKE SO SHE'S JUST
[00:15:01]
GENTLY PROBING JUST TO MAKE SURE IT GOES IN AS FAR AS POSSIBLE SO THAT OUR EFFORTS WERE NOT FOR NOT, AND THAT PEPTIDE SHOULD BE GOOD FOR ABOUT 15 YEARS.SO HOPEFULLY IT'LL OUTLIVE HIM.
SO THIS ONE'S READY TO GO BACK.
HE'S GOING TO BE REALLY EXCITED TO GO BACK HOME.
THIS IS REALLY AN IMPRESSIVE SNAKE OBVIOUSLY, BUT THEY, THEY REALLY DO FACE SOME PERILS OUT THERE DON'T THEY? SO WHAT ARE THE SORTS OF THINGS YOU WORRY ABOUT? LIKE IN TERMS OF CONSERVATION OF DIAMOND BAGS, WHAT DO YOU, WHAT SORTS OF THINGS DO YOU WORRY ABOUT? WELL, THE FIRST THING THAT COMES TO MIND UNFORTUNATELY, IS HUMANS.
UM, BUT YOU KNOW, A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T RECOGNIZE THAT THEY'RE REALLY GOOD FOR THE ENVIRONMENT.
THEY'RE BASICALLY PEST CONTROL AND THEY CAN ELIMINATE A LOT OF DISEASES THAT, YOU KNOW, SMALL MAMMALS BRING WITH THEM.
BUT A BIGGER PORTION OF THEIR DECLINE IS THE LOSS OF THEIR NATIVE HABITAT, WHICH IS THE LONG LEAF PINE ECOSYSTEM.
THERE'S ONLY ABOUT 4% OF THAT REMAINING TODAY.
AND I'M SURE A LOT OF SOUTH CAROLINA RESIDENTS ARE WELL AWARE OF THAT.
UM, BUT THESE GUYS ARE ENDEMIC TO THAT AND THEIR PREY ITEMS ARE AS WELL.
SO THEY FACE SEVERE HABITAT LOSS.
SO THAT'S WHY, YOU KNOW, IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE SPECIES TO BE CONSERVED.
WELL, I THINK THE OTHER THING TO REMEMBER IS THEY'RE, THEY DON'T, THEY'RE NOT BORN THIS BIG.
SO LIKE THAT LITTLE ONE WE CAUGHT, I MEAN, THAT'S GOT A, IT'S A LOT MORE VULNERABLE THAN THIS BIG, GREAT BIG RATTLESNAKE.
SO CONSERVATION IS, IS VERY IMPORTANT.
AND AS YOU SAID, IT'S JUST NOT FAIR FOR SPECIES TO DISAPPEAR, JUST BECAUSE THEY'RE INCONVENIENT FOR US.
IT REALLY ISN'T IT'S, IT'S JUST NOT THE SAME.
IT'S JUST NOT THE LOW COUNTRY WITHOUT SOME RATTLESNAKE, FOR SURE.
WELL, I SURE APPRECIATE THE RESEARCH YOU GUYS ARE DOING, AND I ESPECIALLY APPRECIATE YOU LETTING ME COME ALONG TODAY.
AND I MEAN, I LOVE THIS STUFF.
THANKS FOR TAKING AN INTEREST.
SO WE'RE NOT LOOKING FOR PYGMY RATTLESNAKES.
NOW THIS IS THE SMALLEST RATTLESNAKE SPECIES IN THE WORLD.
UH, AND IT WOULDN'T SURPRISE ME A BIT TO SEE WHEN CROSSING A ROAD LIKE THIS.
THE PROBLEM IS AS THE NAME WOULD IMPLY THEY'RE LITTLE GUYS.
SO WE HAVE TO DRIVE SLOWLY AND LOOK REALLY CAREFULLY.
OKAY GUYS, THERE'S SOMETHING RIGHT, RIGHT HERE.
GOTTA MAKE SURE YOU STOP THE CAR IN TIME.
GUYS LOOK RIGHT HERE AND THIS IS IT.
NOW THIS IS THE DARKEST, MY GOSH, THIS, I CAN'T TELL IF IT'S IN SHED, BUT THIS IS THE DARKEST PYGMY RATTLESNAKE.
IT'S JUST REALLY, REALLY DARK.
NOW THIS LOOKS MORE LIKE ONE THAT WE WOULD CALL A DUSKY PYGMY RATTLESNAKE.
I MEAN, THIS, THESE SNAKES ARE ADULTS ARE NEVER MORE THAN TWO FEET LONG.
SO 15 TO 24 INCHES IS PRETTY TYPICAL.
SO THIS IS AN ADULT AND THE RATTLE IS SO MINUTE THAT WHEN THEY DO RATTLE, IT SOUNDS LIKE AN INSECT BUZZING.
AND THIS ONE LOOKS LIKE A LOT OF TIMES THEY'RE MISSING PART OF THE RATTLE.
THIS BOY HE'S SITTING HERE PERFECTLY, OR HE OR SHE, I CAN'T REALLY TELL BY LOOKING AT IT, BUT LITTLE TINY RED AND BOY, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'D THOSE QUICK MOVEMENTS.
I MEAN, THEY ARE REALLY FEISTY, BUT AGAIN, THIS IS DEFENSIVE.
THIS IS NOT AN ANIMAL THAT, THAT WANTS TO HURT YOU.
IT'S JUST AN ANIMAL THAT'S GOING TO PROTECT ITSELF.
YOU CAN SEE IT'S GOT SOME RED, KIND OF A RED STRIPE RUNNING DOWN THE BACK AND A PRETTY DISTINCT PATTERN.
NOW PICK ME RATTLESNAKES ARE EXTREMELY VARIABLE.
SO THERE'S A CAROLINA PYGMY THAT LIVES MORE IN THE SANDHILLS.
AND THOSE TEND TO BE BRIGHTER SOMETIMES ALMOST A BRICK RED COLOR.
AND THEN THERE'S THE DUSKY PYGMY THAT LIVES IN MORE LOW AREAS, KIND OF SWAMPY AREAS, COASTAL PLAINS OF THE STATE IN HERE IN THE LOW COUNTRY.
AND THEY TEND TO BE MUCH, MUCH DARKER AND NOT, NOT NEARLY AS BRIGHTLY COLORED.
THEY DO A LOT OF THE REAL FIDGETY.
THEY DO A LOT OF SORT OF MOVING THE HEAD AROUND AND MOVING THE TAIL AROUND.
AND AGAIN, THIS IS A VENOMOUS SNAKE, SO WE GOTTA BE CAREFUL.
AND I'M, I'M WELL OUT OF RANGE OF STRIKING HERE, BUT BOY, I WOULDN'T WANT TO GET BIT BY ONE OF THESE PROBABLY WOULDN'T DIE FROM IT, BUT IT'D BE VERY PAINFUL.
A LOT OF TISSUE DESTRUCTION POSSIBLY MIGHT EVEN LOSE A FINGER OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
SO WE DON'T WANT TO TAKE ANY CHANCES AT ALL.
THAT IS REALLY HUMID OUT HERE.
AND ACTUALLY IT STARTED TO RAIN JUST A LITTLE BIT.
YOU NOTICE IT HAS A RATTLESNAKE HEAD, BUT A LITTLE DIFFERENT THAN YOUR TYPICAL QUOTA LIDS.
YOU KNOW, THE, THE BIGGER RATTLESNAKES DIAMOND BACK AND THE CANE BREAK.
IT HAS A MUCH, EVERY TIME I MOVE, HE SORTA POPS HIS HEAD OVER AND GETS A, GETS A GOOD LOOK AT ME NOW BECAUSE THEY'RE SMALL.
THEY A LOT OF FROGS, TREE FROGS, UH,
[00:20:01]
ALL KINDS OF RENTED FROGS, YOU KNOW, LEOPARD FROGS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.NOW THE BABIES ARE REALLY SMALL.
TYPICALLY THEY'LL HAVE FIVE, SIX BABIES SOMETIMES MORE, AND THE BABIES ARE SO SMALL WHEN THEY'RE BORN, THEY CAN COIL UP ON A QUARTER.
SO JUST THINK HOW SMALL THAT ANIMAL IS.
AND A LOT OF TIMES THE BABIES HAVE TO FEED ON THINGS LIKE CIENA PERIODS.
AND OF COURSE, REALLY SMALL FROGS ANYWAY, NEAT LITTLE TAIL MOVEMENTS.
ONE OF THE REALLY COOL THINGS THAT PYGMIES DO IS SOMETHING CALLED CARLIN LURING AND OTHER VIPERS DO THIS AS WELL.
THEY'LL TAKE THE TIP OF THE TAIL AND THEY WIGGLE IT.
AND WHAT'S INTERESTING ABOUT BABY PYGMIES IS THE TIP OF THE TAIL IS KIND OF A BRIGHT YELLOW COLOR.
NOW WE SEE THIS IN COPPERHEADS AND COTTON BALLS AND OTHER SPECIES AS WELL, BUT THEY USE THIS TO LURE IN FROGS AND LIZARDS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND THAT'S HOW THEY CATCH THEIR FOOD.
NOW, ADULTS DO THIS A LOT LESS NOW, AS YOU GUYS CAN SEE IT STARTED TO RAIN, BUT I'LL TELL YOU WHAT, THIS IS TOTALLY WORTH.
IT DOESN'T HURT TO GET A LITTLE BIT WET.
AND WE GOT A CHANCE TO SEE A PYGMY RATTLESNAKE.
SO I'M GOING TO MOVE THIS LITTLE GUY ACROSS THE ROAD.
SO WHILE BACK I DRAGGED THIS BOAT IN THE WOODS BECAUSE WE HAD A HURRICANE COMING UP AND I WANTED TO MAKE SURE IT DIDN'T BLOW AROUND TOO MUCH.
UH, YESTERDAY I CAME OUT HERE TO DRAG THIS BACK OUT INTO THE BOAT YARD AND WHAT I DID, I PICKED IT UP VERY CAREFULLY AND UNDERNEATH IS SOMETHING ABSOLUTELY AMAZING.
AND I'LL BET IT'S STILL UNDER HERE.
I THINK YOU GUYS, SO I'M, I DON'T SEE THIS, UNFORTUNATELY, BUT I'M BEING REALLY CAREFUL AND WOW.
I THINK IT'S RIGHT, RIGHT WHERE I'M HOLDING IT.
SO I GUESS WHAT I'M GOING TO HAVE TO DO IS FLIP THIS BOAT OVER, BUT I WANT TO BE REALLY CAREFUL HOW I DO THIS.
WELL, I DON'T LIKE WHERE MY HANDS WERE, BUT I REALLY WASN'T EXPECTING IT.
SO THIS IS, THIS IS CALLED A CANE BREAK RATTLESNAKE.
NOW I'M GOING TO REALLY CAREFULLY SEE IF I CAN PICK THIS, THIS SNAKE'S PRETTY RILED UP AND RATTLING, BUT I'M GOING TO SEE IF I CAN PICK IT UP AND PUT IT, WHOA, LITTLE STRIKE STRIKING THERE.
LET ME SEE IF I CAN GET IT IN THE BOAT SO WE CAN HAVE A LOOK AT IT.
I MEAN, THIS IS OUR GREAT BIG ADULT, ABOUT AS BIG AS THE SPECIES GETS.
NO, I THINK WHAT HAPPENED IS I THINK, UH, SINCE WE'RE IN SOME OF THE COOLER MONTHS, I THINK WHAT HAPPENED IS THIS SNAKE IS SPENDING THE WINTER RIGHT HERE.
THERE MAY BE A HOLE UNDERNEATH THE BOAT OR SOME STUMP HOLE THAT IT CAN CRAWL INTO.
AND IN THIS CASE, RIGHT UNDERNEATH THE LIP OF THE BOAT, THAT WAS KIND OF EXCITING.
BUT ANYWAY, UM, IT OBVIOUSLY HAS A PLACE TO BE ABLE TO WITHSTAND REALLY, REALLY COLD TEMPERATURES.
CAUSE WE DO GET AN OCCASIONAL FREEZE HERE.
THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE IS THE RATTLE, AND THIS IS ONE OF THE RATTLESNAKES AND YOU KNOW, THESE GUYS DON'T ALWAYS RATTLE.
THIS IS ONE THAT'S A LITTLE MORE ACTIVE THAN I'M USED TO.
THE RATTLE IS KIND OF INTERESTING AND PROBABLY WHAT IT IS, IS DEFENSE FOR THE SNAKE.
WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT IT, THERE'S A REAL CHANCE OF SOME, SOME BIG ANIMALS STEPPING ON A RATTLESNAKE CAUSE THEY CAN'T SEE IT.
SO WHY NOT RATTLE MAKE SOME NOISE? AND THAT WAY YOU DON'T GET STEPPED ON.
OF COURSE IT PROTECTS THE ANIMAL THAT MIGHT ACCIDENTALLY STEP ON IT AS WELL.
SOME REAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THIS SPECIES THAT CANE BREAK RATTLESNAKE IS THIS RUSTY STRIPE DOWN THE BACK AND WONDERFUL PATTERN.
I MEAN THIS ANIMAL ON THE FOREST FLOOR IS SO HARD TO SEE.
AND OF COURSE THAT'S DOES A COUPLE OF THINGS PROTECTS THE SNAKE FROM PREDATORS.
AND ALSO EVEN MORE IMPORTANTLY, IT ALLOWS IT TO STAY HIDDEN SO THAT WHEN A PREY SPECIES, SOMETHING LIKE A MOUSE OR A SQUIRREL COMES CLOSE ENOUGH, DOESN'T SEE THE SNAKE WHAM, IT GETS BITTEN AND THEN THE SNAKE CAN EAT IT.
NOW YOU'LL NOTICE BETWEEN THE, I AM THE NOSTRILS OF PITT AND THAT'S A HEAT SENSITIVE
[00:25:01]
PIT.AND THAT'S WHAT THIS ANIMAL CAN USE TO FIND PREY.
EVEN IF IT'S PITCH BLACK OUT, UH, IT CAN DETECT A THERMAL SIGNATURE OF A MOUSE OR RAT OR A SQUIRREL OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, AND THEN STRIKE AT IT WITH PINPOINT ACCURACY.
SO THAT PITCH REALLY IMPORTANT TO HELP LOCATE PREY AND TO HELP CATCH PRICE.
NOW, A COUPLE OTHER THINGS, THIS SNAKE HAS BURDEKIN PUPILS.
SO THE EYES HAS AROUND THE EYE, BUT THE PUPIL ITSELF IS VERTICAL.
AND THAT'S TRUE OF A LOT OF NOCTURNAL SPECIES AND A LOT OF SPECIES.
UH, ALL THE PIT VIPERS WOULD HAVE THAT VERTICAL PUPIL.
NOW THE VENOM AND THIS SPECIES THAT CANE BREAK RATTLESNAKE HAS HEAVY CHEMO, TOXIC COMPONENTS THAT DESTROY BLOOD MUSCLE TISSUE, BUT IT ALSO HAS SOME OTHER TOXINS AS WELL, INCLUDING SOME NEUROTOXINS.
SO THE BITE FROM ONE OF THESE IS VERY DANGEROUS.
AND IF YOU'RE EVER BITTEN BY ANY VENOMOUS SNAKE, ESPECIALLY A BIG RATTLESNAKE, YOU'VE GOT TO GET TO THE DOCTOR AS QUICK AS POSSIBLE BECAUSE IT'S VERY DEFINITELY A LIFE-THREATENING EMERGENCY.
NOW, ONE OF THE REAL CONCERNS ABOUT ALL RATTLESNAKES CANE BREAKS INCLUDED IS THAT THERE AREN'T NEARLY AS MANY AS THERE USED TO BE.
AND OF COURSE PEOPLE ARE VARIOUS VERY SCARED OF THEM, BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN IT SHOULDN'T BE HERE.
THIS IS A SPECIES THAT BELONGS HERE.
IT'S IMPORTANT FOR THE ECOLOGY AROUND HERE AND WE NEED TO HAVE RATTLESNAKES.
ALL RIGHT, I'M GONNA GET THIS GUY OUT OF THE BOAT SO THAT I CAN FLIP THIS BOAT BACK OVER AND KIND OF RESTORE HIS LITTLE MICROHABITAT HERE.
I THINK WE'LL GET A PRETTY GOOD IDEA OF HOW CAMOUFLAGE THEY ARE.
THEY PRETTY MUCH JUST DISAPPEAR.
I'M WELL OUT OF RANGE HERE, BUT IF I WAS TO GET CLOSER, LIKE UP IN HERE SOMEWHERE, THERE'S A CHANCE THAT THIS SNAKE WOULD STRIKE.
NOW, REMEMBER THIS IS ALL DEFENSIVE.
THIS SNAKE DOES NOT WANT TO BITE ME BECAUSE IF HE DOES, HE USES PRECIOUS VENOM THAT HE NEEDS TO USE TO CATCH FOOD.
AND IF HE HAS AN ALTERCATION WITH A BIG ANIMAL, HE MIGHT LOSE, OKAY, I'M GOING TO DRAG THIS BOAT BACK OVER WHERE IT WAS, KEEP MY EYE ON THE SNAKE OBVIOUSLY.
AND I THINK WE CAN GET THIS SNAKE.
MAYBE IT'LL CRAWL RIGHT BACK UNDERNEATH.
NOW THIS BOAT IS OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE WOODS AND I DON'T, I THINK I'M JUST GONNA LEAVE IT HERE.
I, I WANT TO LEAVE THE SNAKE ALONE AND OBVIOUSLY IT'S CHOSEN TO SPEND THE WINTER HERE.
SO I THINK IT WILL BE JUST FINE HERE, BUT WHEN YOU'RE FLIPPING BOATS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, YOU GOTTA BE REAL CAREFUL WHERE YOU PUT YOUR HANDS.
CAUSE THERE COULD BE SOME A HUNDRED, YOU KNOW, IT WAS JUST KIND OF GLANCED AROUND.
THIS IS BEAUTIFUL HABITAT, NOT ONLY FOR CAMBRIDGE RATTLESNAKES, BUT FOR THE PREY THAT THEY LIKE, YOU KNOW, AH, RAT SPECIES AND SQUIRRELS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
I CAN UNDERSTAND WHY RATTLESNAKE'S DOING WELL HERE.
A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T LIKE THE IDEA OF HAVING RATTLESNAKES AROUND HERE, BUT IT'S ACTUALLY A GOOD THING.
AND ALTHOUGH SOME OF THESE SPECIES CAN BE POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS.
THEY'RE ECOLOGICALLY VERY, VERY IMPORTANT TO THE REGION.
AND BESIDES THERE'S SOMETHING REALLY EXCITING ABOUT HAVING RATTLESNAKES RIGHT HERE IN THE LOW COUNTRY.
THANKS FOR JOINING US ON COASTAL KINGDOM.