[meteorite-list] Sutter Mill snkes(correction)

[GeoZay at aol.com]

Just notice i made an error...I said that we  killed king snakes because of 
neighborhood kids....I meant to say rattlesnakes.  We would never kill a 
king snake.
geozay

In a message dated 5/9/2012  4:06:08 P.M. Pacific Daylight Time, 
GeoZay at aol.com  writes:

>>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   

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