MickinOz wrote:So what is the story with the buzzworms, when do they rattle? I'm assuming its only when they feel angry or threatened?
I believe it's to warn someone (human or otherwise) away. I've never had one rattle at me. Shelly said it happened to one of her sons once.
For several nights in a row, I saw pieces of tall grass, through a deck, jiggle, then disappear. I suspected a mouse, and finally, I was wide enough awake at 1 am to turn on the light. I think it was a mouse, but the interesting thing was a rattler on the deck looking through the slots. The light didn't faze him, and he went down. I suppose the mouse went to his just reward. I was behind a screen, and the snake was too busy to acknowledge me.
Another time, I was cutting wood, picked up a piece, and there was a baby rattler (too young for rattles) looking at me. I've heard warnings about the babies not controlling their venom and such, so I gave him a wide berth. I was a 5 minute run from the cabin, but heard you shouldn't run with venom in the system. Then there would be the complication of helping the ambulance find the cabin in our maze of back roads. All-in-all, better to let him go about his business, and cut wood elsewhere that day.
I've seen one or two others dead on the road. I think they get on the pavement to warm up and can't move when the cars come. (I try and avoid running them over when I see them.) Down on the desert, there was one at our balloon launch site one time, who was too cold to move. Someone killed him with a rake--too may people around to take chances. That snake didn't put up any fight, or rattle, or anything.
Tom
yes. 
