OT-Biggest rattlesnake I have ever seen!

[rangerider7]

Now that y'all point that out hmmmmmm, I had not noticed that before. My friend had it sent to him in an email so it could be.

[Kansas Ed]

My second cousin has a photo of a rattler taken during the annual Rattlesnake Ridge Hunt which was done near Valley City Mo. (Now pretty much a ghost town with 2 occupied houses) in the 1920's or so. A smallish man is holding the head of a big rattler in a forked stick at arms length above his head, and the tail is dragging the ground. My cousin's dad is in the photo, which is why she kept it.

Big rattlers scare hell out of me. I still remember when mom stopped the car on top of a big copperhead in the driveway. We got out of the car and walked to the house (I was about 6 or 7 at the time.) to wait for dad to get home and kill the snake. When dad got home, he asked why we left the car an 1/8 mile down the driveway. Mom says: So you could kill the copperhead under the tire. Dad says: What copperhead." Well that Copperhead had escaped...and mom didn't like the idea of climbing back into her car with a vengeful copperhead on the loose....quite frankly neither did I....I think we were both afraid that it was lurking within the confines of the car frame or something.

Ed

[mescalero1]

Kansas Ed,
Left quite an impression on you.

[RPCVYemen]

n my opinion the photo is a fake. The snake has a distinct shadow on the man's body as well as on the ground. Yet the man's legs show no shadow on the ground as the snake does.

I'd have to agree. The snake's shadow makes it look as though the photograph was lit from the right front of the picture. The snake's shadow - even the rattles - is very distinct, even on the ground behind the man. But neither of the man's legs (or feet) throws a shadow. There may be a tiny shadow from the man's legs, but the angle is wrong.

I would like to see some more pictures of the beast. I'd expect at least two - if I found a snake like, and my buddy were photographing me, we'd definitely trade the snake and camera, and sanp a picture of each of us with the snake.


Mike

[Hillbilly]

I have seen a couple of rattle snakes that have been mounted that were well over 8 feet. Girths over 4 inches too.

My cousin killed a 6 footer (+) in near Paris Tn back a few years ago... photo shop or not... those snakes can get that big

[DavidF]

The photo looks real to me, but the snake is a couple feet closer to the lens then the gentleman is so it appears relatively larger.(Still obviously an enormous specimen). The man casts a smaller shadow up his right side just like the snake but again the snake is closer to the light source and so casts a larger shadow.

[Birdman]

I don't want you boys to be too critical about Rangeriders photo. If you all offend him he might stop posting the old cowboy pictures. Keep um coming!!!!!!!!!!!!!!