Snake in the Grass

A lot of folks looking for locations of timber rattlesnake dens in New England are browsing their way to my blog.  It's amazing what you can learn about blog traffic from Sitemeter, such as the fact that during the past two weeks folks in odd places like Los Angeles had an uncanny, perhaps unhealthy and often repeated interest in where these snakes might be in the Northeast.  Not coincidentally, snakes are preparing to return to their dens and are vulnerable to collection during this time. 

If that's what you are after, you've come to the wrong place.  On the other hand, I now have a great deal of information about you, your processor speed, your search engine of choice, your Internet provider, what you were searching for and where you ended up on my site.  Big Brother, indeed.

There's a fellow who contacted me directly via e-mail, seemed friendly and concerned and may even be legit, yet I find it curious that in making reference to my post on a depleted den he also made assumptions about the one I had in mind but never identified, even by state.   I hope my correspondent from NH appreciates that as a prudent precaution I will not open any of the attachments he has sent me purporting to show juvenile snakes from a den in this area until he confirms to me that he is known to CTDEP and sends them monitoring data on the dens he visits.  No offense, but the last thing I need is a virus from a snake in the grass, and we've got a few of those along with the timber rattlesnakes in these parts.

update:  my correspondent from NH turns out to be a most welcome ally.  The snakes need more of them.

Comments

[GreenmanTim]

My dear Miss Chestnuts, you are too kind. I should have credited you for both photographs but without knowing the appropriate nome de plume I feared lest by so doing I reveal their location. Now I know, and am most grateful.

[Miss Chestnuts]

Thank you Bwana for your continued vigilance on behalf of the gentle and practically defenseless timber rattlesnake.

And by the way, great photos!

Your devoted blog fan,
Miss Chestnuts