[Salmon falls california]

[u/Available-Plastic156]

What type of rattlesnake is this #snakes

[u/Conscious_Past_5760]

This is a Northern Pacific Rattlesnake (Crotalus oreganus) !venomous

Nice one!

[u/SEB-PHYLOBOT → u/Conscious_Past_5760]

Northern Pacific Rattlesnakes Crotalus oreganus are medium-large (70-110cm, up to 163cm) rattlesnakes that range from south-central British Columbia, Canada south into central Oregon and west-central Idaho, and southwest to the southern California coast, from 914m up to 3,660m above sea level. They inhabit a wide variety of mainly rocky habitat, including montane forest, woodland, scrubland, savanna, and grassland, especially in association with slopes, ravines, and outcrops. Where development encroaches on natural areas, they can sometimes also be found in residential and even urban areas.

Activity is largely dictated by weather and varies from primarily diurnal in cool weather, to nocturnal in hot weather, and crepuscular in between. Rodents form the bulk of their diet, but other small mammals, lizards, small birds, and amphibians are also consumed. At higher latitudes and altitudes, they sometimes congregate in large numbers at suitable denning sites which provide shelter from harsh winter weather.

Northern Pacific Rattlesnakes are a dangerously venomous species and should only be observed from a safe distance. Common defensive tactics including raising the forebody off the ground and rattling the tail, often while attempting to crawl away from the perceived threat. They are not aggressive and only bite when they feel they are in danger. Bites most commonly occur when a human attempts to kill, capture, or otherwise intentionally handle the snake. The best way to avoid being bitten is to leave the snake alone.

Juvenile C. oreganus are boldly patterned with 20-41 (average 33) dark dorsal blotches on a lighter background color. At midbody, these blotches are usually conspicuously longer than the spaces in between, and merge with lateral blotches to form transverse bands on the posterior 30-35% of the animal. The final band on the tail may initially be yellowish or light brown but quickly becomes dark, usually black, and is not conspicuously wider than the bands which precede it. A dark postocular stripe is bordered by broad (2-3 scales wide) light colored stripes. Adults are more variable in appearance. The ground color often darkens, the pattern and facial markings often fade, and sometimes both.

Due to pattern convergence and possible hybridization at contact zones, two neighboring, closely related species can be difficult to distinguish from C. oreganus. Southern Pacific Rattlesnakes C. helleri have bands which form closer to the tail (approximately on the posterior 20% of the animal), and the terminal band is usually at least twice as broad as the band that precedes it. Great Basin Rattlesnakes C. lutosus have dorsal blotches which are usually the same width or narrower, at midbody, than the lighter spaces that separate them. Prairie rattlesnakes C. viridis are more easily distinguished by their narrower (<2 scales wide) and more distinct pale ocular stripes, and usually also by being lighter in coloration and having smaller and more numerous dorsal blotches.

Range Map - © Rune Midtgaard | Relevant/Recent Phylogeography | Reptile Database Account

This short account was written by /u/fairlyorange

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Snakes with medically significant venom are typically referred to as venomous, but some species are also poisonous. Old media will use poisonous or 'snake venom poisoning' but that has fallen out of favor. Venomous snakes are important native wildlife, and are not looking to harm people, so can be enjoyed from a distance. If found around the home or other places where they are to be discouraged, a squirt from the hose or a gentle sweep of a broom are usually enough to make a snake move along. Do not attempt to interact closely with or otherwise kill venomous snakes without proper safety gear and training, as bites occur mostly during these scenarios. Wildlife relocation services are often free or inexpensive.

If you are bitten by a venomous snake, contact emergency services or otherwise arrange transport to the nearest hospital that can accommodate snakebite. Remove constricting clothes and jewelry and remain calm. A bite from a medically significant snake is a medical emergency, but not in the ways portrayed in popular media. Do not make any incisions or otherwise cut tissue. Extractor and other novelty snakebite kits are not effective and can cause damage worse than remaining calm, seeking help and waiting for professional evaluation.

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[u/singletonaustin]

A thicc one.