Surrounded by Wild Rattlesnakes

Pay attention in elementary school, because the stuff they teach you can save your life. I don’t think the people running the school system intend it that way, but never mind about those guys. Watch how knowledge of basic facts can make a life-or-death difference.

I was in Wyoming on vacation. We reached a nice campsite midway through the day, and an inviting peak was nearby. We judged it was small enough that we could make it to the top and back before sundown, and that this would be worth it for the view. So, off we went. It was an easy, jovial hike, and spirits were high.

On the way back down, I encountered a rattlesnake. Fortunately, I spotted him in time, and I was able to ease around him without incident. But then one of my companions encountered a rattlesnake, and then a third. The hillside was covered with them. We were surrounded by wild rattlesnakes.

There hadn’t been any rattlesnakes on the way up, so what had happened? I insisted that our group stop and think this thing through. We had limited time to get back to camp, because the sun was getting low, but if we tried to rush, we’d be sure to have casualties. We needed a plan.

Wait… sun getting low… I suddenly remembered my 4th grade science class, and being taught that snakes are cold-blooded. Snakes avoid the atrocious heat of midday, but they sun themselves in the late afternoon to warm up before the cold night. That must be what these snakes were doing. The sun had been too hot during our ascent, and the snakes must have started emerging around the time we were reaching the summit.

Nearby was the shady side of the hill. We carefully picked our way over to there and, sure enough, there was not a snake to be found. We descended rapidly and easily.

Various authoritative sources– state wildlife agencies and the like– suggest protections that are of limited utility. The usual advice includes:

• Hike with a trekking pole– which won’t be possible if you’re already in the wilderness and there are no trees around.
• Wear high-top boots– which you would be sure to do if you knew in advance that you’d be hiking in snake-infested areas. But if you knew that in advance, then you’d likely look for something else to do instead.
• Use popular, well-hiked trails– but not all the wilderness is a state park, so there might not be any trails.

None of them seem to advise, “Understand the behavioral patterns of snakes and what life is like for them. Apply this knowledge to your immediate situation with the aim of avoiding snakes.”

Our species did not survive its caveman era because it possessed high-top boots and carbon-fiber trekking poles. It survived because it possessed intellect. We have adequately transmitted knowledge from generation to generation in such a way that snake avoidance is encoded in the science lessons of elementary school. So, pay attention in school. Those kid-sized facts and your powers of reason can save your life.

https://www.amazon.com/Dangerous-Man-Roger-Caras/dp/0883170345