Jul
22
Big Snake in Montana?
July 22, 2008 | 33 Comments
Soyamaven sent me this picture with this information: “Reportedly, this 9′ 1″, 97 lb. snake was recently found east of Helena, near Canyon Ferry Lake.”
I don’t know if snakes in Montana routinely grow this large…but I’d hate to meet up with one.
So…can anyone confirm or deny that this snake was indeed captured near Canyon Ferry Lake?
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33 Comments so far
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The size would indicate an Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crotalus_adamanteus
While the size is certainly possible it’s very unlikely this is a Montana snake.
That’s a Western Diamondback, you can tell by the black and white rings near the rattle. So, probably NOT found in MT, unless it was an escaped pet. I also suspect that the reported length of the snake is an exaggeration, made easier by the angle of the shot. I think that looks like it’s about 7 feet, which is adult size for a Western Diamondback.
I saw a VERY large rattler on the highway near Lewis & Clark Caverns a few weeks ago. Not that big…but it was pretty stinking big. I hope they don’t ‘routinely’ get that way or I’m going to have to rethink my outdoor love.
Check out this link:
http://www.snopes.com/photos/animals/txsnake.asp
One of my buddies lives out by the lake. I’ll ask him.
Well, it looks like this is a whopper of a tale — that Snopes link nails it. Thanks Maleesha!
I don’t think I’m going to tell anyone it’s not of MT origins..darn it anyway.. I had people arguing with me that it was a boa snake and they live among the rattlers of Montana so eastern/western what dif. it’s huge, it’s ugly and it could hurt BAD!!!! Everyone should be aware of what’s out there when walking in the wilderness. It wouldn’t be any better to be eaten by a griz would it?
Yes, thanks Maleesha!
(Walter Greenspan, otherwise known as “Soyamaven”.)
Yes, let’s tell everyone these things are so common in Montana that everyone has at least one under their front porch! :) I’m on board!
I go camping every summer at Canyon Ferry Lake……I have never seen anything that big there ever!!!! Last year i ran into a bull snake that was about 5 feet long……..other then that one time i have never seen anything like this snake!
don’t kid yourself, montana is loaded with these people eaters and love children
only one? these things usually live in groups of 3 or more, you have to wonder where the other 2 are now. probably looking for this guy
This is a hoax. The snake is definitely a western diamondback rattlesnake (Crotalus atrox).
Their range takes them nowhere near Helena, Montana, nor do they reach the length sited. The extreme maximum size (very rare) is around 7 feet. Exceeding that by 2 feet is hard to fathom to the extreme.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crotalus_atrox
http://www.iucnredlist.org/search/rangemap.php?species=64311
One other thing: Try holding something that weighs 97 lbs on the end of a stick like the guy in the picture. It is not possible. 97lbs. is the size of a small adult. I am a strong guy and I know there is no way I could hold something half that weight on the end of a cantilever like that guy’s snake-stick.
I got my nickname from having a magnetic attraction to all sorts of rattlesnakes. Wherever I go mining , I am usually the one to come up on a rattler. Be it a western or an eastern Diamondback, they are all to be respected. My trusty walking stick has been a great aid in keeping a wide berth between my pack animals and I and coiled surprises on the trail. After taking a close look at the submitted photo, I came to the conclusion that figure/ground comes into play. If one holds out an object close to a camera lens and stands in the background, the closer image will have an exaggerated size. This photo could be of a snake measuring anywhere from a 3 footer to a 5 footer (by my estimation). Then again, I could be off a bit on that length. That fellow in the photo must be mighty strong to be able to hold out 97 LBS. so easily. He must be a throwback from the early gold rush prospectors cause we all like to spin a few yarns on occassion.
EUGH!!! — And to think that is my old stomping grounds……yuck!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
A man obviously measured this snake…because men stretch the truth about all measurements! Diamondback Dave has it correct when he talks about the distortion of an image when held close to the lens. Experiment with your digital cameras at home and you’ll see how most images look twice as long/large as they really are!
WOW!!!! And how big was that fish again??? I’ve lived here all my 46 years and have seen all sorts of big rattlesnacks and there is nothing like this in this state. I’m sorry to ruin your fish story. Try this on someone that might believe you.
When I first saw the picture, I thought….Where are the mountains. You can’t take that kind of picture with so much sky anywhere around Helena without having Mountains in the background.
I live near canyon ferry and I heard this wasnt from canyon ferry. If you look up 9 or 10 foot rattle snake in google images, you’ll find this snake and guy in about five different states.
It’s all perspective. I catch rattlesnakes (Mojave) all the time, to observe them and remove them from roads. I often get my son to take a photo of me holding the hook toward the camera so that it looks much closer to me than it really is. Same idea.
I grew up in Helena Arkansas on the St. Francis refuge. Have seen lot of 6 and 7 foot timberrattlers. If conditions were right the snake could reach 9 feet. I have heard my grand father speak of rattlers that would stretch across the road, but i have never seen one this big.
So…. Courtney (july22) thinks a western diamondback is not found in Montana!? Hah, what a moron…its the most common snake in Montana. I bet she thinks Montana is on the East Coast, hence – eastern diamondback!!! Or maybe Montana is somehwere in ASIA!!!!
Wow, Bruno, it’s just a snake, hardly reason to get your panties in a twist. Besides, you’re confusing the Western Rattlesnake (Crotalus viridis), also called the Prairie Rattlesnake, with the Western Diamondback (Crotalus atrox). The Western Diamondback is a Southwestern desert rattler (look at a map of the US, then look at the bottom, left portion of the country, there you’ll find the American Southwest). The Western/Prairie Rattlesnake is the only venomous snake found in Montana (look to the right of the State of Washington, no, not Washington DC, the STATE, and you’ll find MT).
Hey all, I am a pro editorial wildlife photographer, I was wondering if anyone knows of any snake dens near the billings,mt area. am looking to find an active den site to photograph. thought i would post on the blog and see if anyone has any advice. thanks in advance!!!! please just email me!!!!
It certainly is a Central Montana Rattler. My landlord uses them in his buildings to keep the rats under control. This works well except I have to trip all over them to get out of the building for work.
This picture made it to us just after the snake was caught in 2007. It was from Oliver B.C. in the Okanogan drainage just a few miles north of the border. It measured 9′1″. We have large rattlers in the Okanogan drainage as well as the tributaries of the Columbia. The rattlers in the desert areas are much smaller.
I would love to buy some property in Helena montana or on the outskirts by the rivers. With children how safe would this be? Are there snakes all around the Natioal Park areas. I would like a small vacation spot to fish but dont want to worry about snakes taking our little ones lifes. What to watch out for???? Your input or advise is appreciated.We have a big family.
It is my understanding that rattle snakes can jump 8 feet. If this is a live snake he is holding. It sure doesn’t seem like a good thing to do. I heard they are good to eat but no thank you.Taste like chicken!! :)
Years ago as a child I lived in Montana .My mother did all the worring. Besides what is lerking in the bushes, do you run, walk slowly or stand still??? For get out of dodge if you see one.
Of course, Betty. If you’re an out-of-stater, there’s a rattler under every bush! Seriously, I know there are rattlers around, but I don’t think I’ve seen 3 in the wild in 50-some years. With all due respect, I have to agree with the fellow’s take on the 97lb claim. No way anyone short of The Hulk holds 97lbs out at THAT angle. That alone casts enough doubt on the claim to put it in the fable category.
Betty…there are snakes…and I saw three this summer. And actually one of them was under my deck…I live near Three Forks and yes…they are plentiful. The good thing about rattle snakes, is that they will usually let you know that they are there. A few years ago there was one, probably at least 5 feet long in my yard, while my daughter was playing outside…she was 3 at the time. It just stayed in one spot…I was able to grab her and get in the house. My friend Cindy has killed them on her own with a shovel. They can only strike half the length of their body…so yes they are here and this last year they were plentiful. We killed one in the driveway too…but we play in the woods and at the lake with no problems…
I visted Montana last summer and can’t wait to visit again. I’ve found reading blogs is a good way to learn about an area and that is what I was doing tonight when I saw this picture. I was so amazed because last summer this same pic was all over the internet here as having been killed in a town 50 miles north of here in Poplar Bluff, MO. I even talked to some guys who swore they were the ones who killed it. My friends and I even thought we could identify the buildings in the background. And yes these things do grow that big here but now I wonder if it was all a hoax.