Just another reason to watch where you're going and watch the ground, not the screen, when you are out with Ma Nature. We have lots of rattlers here in SoCal, but the only time you see one is when you weren't expecting to. I saw three last Saturday on a tree planting workday at the local wildlife preserve, which is very close to the ocean and several suburban developments. One was a Mojave (sent the pic to a rattler biologist, since we aren't supposed to have them here. It WAS a Mojave.). But although two were coiled, none rattled and the Mojave boogied away down a ground squirrel hole as fast as he could go, which was pretty fast.
Almost all the snakes we are discussing, Mojave, Prairie, Pacific Rattlesnakes (Southern and Northern) are sub-species of the true Eastern Timber Rattler. I say "true" because popular names for snakes are often pretty far from accurate, biologically speaking. Where I come from in Northern CA (I DON'T mean the San Francisco Bay Area--We lived over a hundred miles north of there, and didn't consider Frisco Northern California) Northern Pacific Rattlers were called "Timber Rattlers."
Rattlers have personalities, or at least different threat-response instincts. Some are grouchy and touchy. Most are uninterested in anything they can't eat that isn't looking like it wants to eat them. NONE of them will tolereate being touched and if they only see a hand or a finger, they may decide that they COULD eat that!
A snake that gets caught out in the open while shedding its skin may strike at anything that comes near it, since it may not be able to see, or move efficiently, or sense body heat of a threat to tell how big or near it is. Most try to shed underground for that reason.
They are also touchy about getting caught in the sex act, like most folks.
As you can perhaps tell, I'm fascinated by rattlers, but mostly I just keep my eyes and ears open and watch where I put my hands and feet. The only time I will kill one is if it is in an area where kids are likely to be playing unsupervised or if it gets into a building or car. Kids and dogs are just too vulnerable to snakebite to take chances. Otherwise, leave 'em alone and enjoy seeing them. I only wear snake chaps when hunting quail where you often need to move fast through brush and can't look at every stepping place before you step there. But most rattlers hear or feel you coming and are gone before you arrive, or it is too chilly for them during hunting season.
