trip to Sonoma Reptile Rescue today

[Bay_area]

I found 6 rattlesnakes on Halloween in someones garage up in Berkeley hills.
The mother & 5 babies
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c306/norcalsnakemaster/IMG_1409.jpg
I took all but one up to Sonoma Reptile rescue today since he is legally allowed to release them back into the wild. He has a great operation up there. People were there dropping off produce to feed the many turtles & tortoises he has if the back yard.
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c306/norcalsnakemaster/Sonomareptilerescuevisit-12.jpg
Bread for the buffalos
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c306/norcalsnakemaster/Sonomareptilerescuevisit-18.jpg
He has several snakes on hand. He does reptile education shows with them. Some had been abused before ...others were really nice looking
he had a couple of neat patterned Redtailed boas

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c306/norcalsnakemaster/Sonomareptilerescuevisit-01.jpg
& of course he had a bunch of rattlers. I forget how many times he said he has been bitten, but it was qute a few. Here is a pic of the Western Diamondback Rattlesnake he uses for his shows. I have never seen an C. atrox this mellow:cool:

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c306/norcalsnakemaster/Sonomareptilerescuevisit-10.jpg
All in all it was a fun day BTW, I couldn't help but to adopt a Mojave rattlesnake while I was there

[EdgyExoticReptiles]

you must really like venomous snakes, i had a vine snake once does that count? o and did he say what type of red-tail boa this was?

[Thamnophis]

That is fine C. atrox!

[Snaky]

Some nice pics and stunning atrox:)

[Lori P]

Wow, very very cool place! Does he raise the buffalo or are they also rescues? And send pics of the one you adopted!!! :-)

[drache]

what I cool place
so where's the pic of the snake you adopted?

[anji1971]

Man I wish I lived in your area, that would be such a great place to take the kids for a visit! I never realized rattlers could get so big around-- he looks kinda like a big stuffed sausage!!!:D And, yes, how rude of you to show us all these animals and not even one pic of the one you adopted........shame on you!!;);)

[RZL36]

you must really like venomous snakes, i had a vine snake once does that count? o and did he say what type of red-tail boa this was?

The vine snake does count. If you ever pulled its mouth back you will see some fangs. The Asian vines are not so bad, but the South American ones have really messed people up good.

The atrox seems really chill. I want a crotalid :(.

[reptileparadise]

Looks like you had a very nice day!

[adamanteus]

Lovely looking C. atrox. Something always confuses me..... some of these people who keep venomous snakes, the ones who 'can't remember how many times they've been bitten' always have to 'free handle' the snakes. Why are they surprised when they get nailed?:confused:
I kept venomous species of many types for about twenty years. I never 'free handled' and I never got bitten. Seems sensible to me!:)

[Gijs & Sabine]

Very nice and interesting day you had there :) and what a huge atrox !!

[Stefan-A]

Lovely looking C. atrox. Something always confuses me..... some of these people who keep venomous snakes, the ones who 'can't remember how many times they've been bitten' always have to 'free handle' the snakes. Why are they surprised when they get nailed?:confused:
I kept venomous species of many types for about twenty years. I never 'free handled' and I never got bitten. Seems sensible to me!:)
My thoughts exactly. If I was bitten even once by a Crotalus, or any other venomous snake and survived, I'd be considering getting myself another hobby. But this guy in the other thread has been bitten over 40 times.. Now, I don't mean to sound callous, but I really don't know how to relate to that guy, considering his snake bite record.

[adamanteus]

Complacency is the greatest danger when handling venomous snakes, I think. That's part of the reason I gave them up..... Because I had the two massive Eastern Diamond Backs, I found myself lacking respect for some of the 'lesser' rattlers I had at the time (vegrandis). One time I found myself cleaning their viv with them still in it! Like, because I had bigger rattlers these little ones could kill me any less! I was very foolish, and very lucky.

[Bay_area]

I wanted to post a pic of the Mojave rattlesnake I adopted & other snakes that I had seen their, but that is my wife's fault. I told her the day before to get me out some batteries for the camera & put them on the table. Since I didn't grab them the first day, she put them away. My camera died while I was @ Al Wolf's place. If she would of left the batteries out, I would of had them with me:p I will take pics this week, nothing special about this mojave, just that it is a male & I only have 3 females.

Lori P- not sure about the buffalo, I think they are his, he said they are for sale. I called my dad & said he should buy them...he said "no":(

reed_Kamsler- he said they were Mexican red tail boas. also they are full grown.

adamanteus- I agree that "Complacency is the greatest danger when handling venomous snakes" Al told me that last week he was cleaning cages & reached in & grabbed a rattlesnake with his hand because he forgot it was a rattlesnake in that cage. Fortuantly he wasn't bitten this time.
Not saying I will never get bitten, but I do take precautions not to. I was bitten one time by a copperhead & that was over 12 years ago. It wasn't a bad bite, however, it was an eye opener. BTW, I have not drank alcohol in 10 years, if you know what I mean:o

[EdgyExoticReptiles]

LORI u should buy a buffalo u have enough room for it right? that would be awsome to have one

[Lori P]

LOL... cool as they are, the problem with buffalo is, like the song says, they roam. They are very difficult to contain, no matter what your fencing; they scoff at electric and walk over anything else. At the vet clinic we have (had) two clients trying to raise them and they kept breaking out and causing all sorts of havoc... one of them had to hire our local cowboys to take his dogs out there and go round them up after they'd roamed miles and miles away. They are also extremely difficult to handle, they have the personality of beef cows plus an extra 1000 lbs on top of it. Plus, I tried the meat from a couple our local butcher got in and really wasn't fond of it... gamey and very tough... but that could have been how they were raised. I think it got fashionable for a bit there to raise beefalo, but people soon learned buffalo are hard to keep on a hobby farm.

[Bay_area]

I just thought my Father would like one because we are part Miwok Indian Tribe. He used to say when we were growing up how the white man took the land & killed the buffalo...sounds racist now days to say that...LOL! I think the Indian Casinos that keep popping up all over California should have them @ the casinos. :pThat would be cool!!!

[drache]

you think the average casino has enough room to roam?
and
could give whole new meaning to the term "crapshoot"

[Bay_area]

you think the average casino has enough room to roam?
and
could give whole new meaning to the term "crapshoot"
LOL!
The Casinos in Nor*Cal are located out in the middle of nowhere, not like the So*Cal ones. I think buffalos represent Indian traditions better than gambling or selling "firewater":rolleyes:I think those were things introduced to them by the settlers.

[Loren]

Hi Jerry, I finally logged on to this forum. I'd like to check out that rescue someday, it looks pretty cool. I dont exactly have an economy car anymore, so I cant really drive too far right now.
Hello to every one else as well.

[drache]

Hi Loren, friend of Jerry
nice to meet you
and welcome to this wonderful forum

[Lori P]

Hello Loren! Any friend of Jerry's scares us... LOL Just kidding!!!! :D Hope you enjoy the forum!!!!

[anji1971]

Hi Loren, and welcome from Canada!!:)

[Bay_area]

Hi Jerry, I finally logged on to this forum.

That is great! you actually logged on! Well if you are to go to any forum, this be the one! Welcome!:D Post some of your garters in the garter forum, make everyone jealous of how we just go out & catch ours...LOL!
BTW, someone I know has a clutch of Valley Garters that need homes, let me know if you know anyone that wants them. Otherwise I will take them to Sonoma Reptile Rescue.

[adamanteus]

Hi Loren, and welcome to the forum.:)

[Loren]

Thanks everyone.
Jerry, I dont know of anyone needing vally garters right now. They are always welcome on my folk's dairy :)
I need to figure out how to post bigger pics like the rest of you. Do you all have them posted somewhere else and then use the url part of the attachment option?
I've never posted on any forum before this.

[adamanteus]

Loren, this is how we post our pics here.:)
http://www.thamnophis.com/forum/site-feedback-suggestions-questions/1008-guide-posting-pictures.html

[Loren]

Thanks James.
-Loren

[Lulu Bennett]

Hi Loren and welcome from over seas. its great to have new members.
hope you enjoy the forum hun xxx

[Stefan-A]

Welcome aboard, Loren.

[RZL36]

Welcome and nice cerastes. Pictures of such are always appreciated.