Wildlife myths debunked in Moultoborough

[SAMIAM]

Rattlesnake Island,Mountain,Hill,Road and others were not named because they had a snake population....but because they resemble a serpent as the outline of our own Rattlesnake Island does......Every old timer has a tale of seeing or knowing of a rattlesnake nest somewhere but none have ever proven it an no one has every produced a live or dead snake. Rattlesnakes don't like cold weather......and,although I've seen a few "snow snakes" I still won't believe it untill I see one for myself.

[Lin]

Originally Posted by SAMIAM

Rattlesnake Island,Mountain,Hill,Road and others were not named because they had a snake population....but because they resemble a serpent as the outline of our own Rattlesnake Island does......Every old timer has a tale of seeing or knowing of a rattlesnake nest somewhere but none have ever proven it an no one has every produced a live or dead snake. Rattlesnakes don't like cold weather......and,although I've seen a few "snow snakes" I still won't believe it untill I see one for myself.

I wasn't talking about Rattlesnake Island in Winni, as a third generation summer resident of the lakes region, I know that the island was named for the shape, I was talking about areas near my own town that were named for the reptile rattlers found in the rocky pockets and ledges of that type of topography. I'm sure Fish and Game in NH are not lying when they say there are 30 Rattlesnakes in an area in NH. Most organizations do not release the locations due to people's fear of the snake and others finding the location and maliciously killing them. When I did boundry work at the State Park I managed, we had a major rocky area to traverse and I DID keep a lookout for the critters as it would not have been unusual to find them. The park is not far from Rattlesnake Hill which WAS named for the reptile in the same town and very near the confirmed nests in the next county over. The rattlesnakes in New England are Timber Rattlers not the Diamondback rattlers you would find in the southwest. Here are some links, many with maps showing the areas of population including NH.

http://www.mass.gov/dfwele/dfw/nhesp...s_horridus.pdf

http://www.wildlife.state.nh.us/Wild...attlesnake.htm

http://www.timberrattlesnake.net/

http://people.wcsu.edu/pinout/herpet...dus/index.html

http://www.wildlife.state.nh.us/Wild...ame/snakes.htm

http://www.hsus.org/wildlife/a_close...tlesnakes.html

http://www.natureserve.org/explorer/...us+horridus%20

[kthy66]

Thank you for the post Lin! Very informative!
I have to say I was shocked to learn we have rattlesnakes in our area. I was not aware that they hibernated thus giving them the ability to survive our winters.
Very interesting stuff.

[hilltopper]

Originally Posted by SAMIAM

I still won't believe it untill I see one for myself.

So you don't believe in the dinosaurs either, right? Not trying to be a smart arse, I just don't understand why you don't believe F&G. They are not "old timers telling stories", they're real people who have seen them and know where they are and are trying to protected them via the state's endangered (not extinct) species list and not telling the general public where they are.

Where's the Rattlesnake dude that was kickin' around here last year? We need him/her to chime in...

[wildwoodfam]

Originally Posted by SAMIAM

Rattlesnake Island,Mountain,Hill,Road and others were not named because they had a snake population....but because they resemble a serpent as the outline of our own Rattlesnake Island does......Every old timer has a tale of seeing or knowing of a rattlesnake nest somewhere but none have ever proven it an no one has every produced a live or dead snake. Rattlesnakes don't like cold weather......and,although I've seen a few "snow snakes" I still won't believe it untill I see one for myself.

Desert night can be downright FRIGID!!! BYW - Rattlesnakes go under ground in the winter - thats how they survive our New England winters!

Also- we have a Rattlesnake Hill Rd here in my hometown (Massachusetts) and it does NOT resemble a rattler - but rather was once home to a colony of the venemous serpants!!

SEEING IS BELIEVING???? Samiam!! Don't you watch the Polar Express????