[meteorite-list] Sutter Mill snkes

[GeoZay at aol.com]

>>George: you are right, the gopher  snake and the king snake can both look 
pretty imposing and are typically run  over by misinformed motorists.  
Those snakes do a lot to get rid of  rodents, etc.  Now I was born here 
over 67 years ago, but must confess  that I spent a few years in Grad 
school outside the  state.<<

Well....during my life, I've lived roughly 10 years out of  state due to 
military and the sort...but rest of the time lived in california.  Being in 
the fire service for over 30 years, I've been on quite a few snake  calls of 
all kinds it seems. About equally gopher snakes, king snakes and  several 
varieties of rattle snakes. The king snakes we often would kill because  they 
were in the neighborhoods where kids play. But the king snakes and gopher  
snakes we try to convince the callers of their beneficial status. If it seemed 
 that they would kill it  still after we leave, I'd try to catch them live  
and turn them loose at the station to feast on the gophers we have living 
there.  Getting back to rattlesnakes....I recall killing a western 
diamondback that was  about 4 1/2 feet long, but was about 4 or 5 inches in diameter. 
I thought I came  upon a short anaconda or something. :O) Also lassoed a 
rattlesnake that was over  6 feet long and had 15 rattles. My snake rod seemed 
as if I was trying to reel  in a large tuna or something. There was no way I 
was gonna let him go. Had a  tight grip on the noose. Up on the Sutter Mill 
area and the Yuba rivers where I  played around dredging for gold I'd often 
come across Sierra Pacific rattlers.  They are small and hard to see. 
Typically about 2 feet long with about 4  rattles. Found several of these in our 
camp over the years...lucky no one got  bit. 
George Zay