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[–] • 1 pt

Texas it is.

[–] • 1 pt

Thanks. We have three different varieties here in California that I am aware of. The Mojave Green rattler out in the desert. It gets around sidewinder style and it's venom is a neuro toxin.

Then there is the Diamond Back rattler that is more up in the foot hills above LA area. They aren't very large but there are gobs of them in the spring. Once my brother and I years back were up in the hills above Azuza and walked into a large patch of them. We had to walk out of the area like it was land mined to avoid stepping on the critters.

Then there is the Red Rattler which has a nice diamond pattern and a rust colored skin to help it blend into the rust colored ground. It likes to lie in the shade of boulders and bushes where it's rusty color and it's diamond pattern of speckles helps it blend in extremely well. These max out at around three feet, are fat and slow moving. Slow to strike and will vacate the area if alarmed.

[–] • 1 pt

Interesting. Thanks for the explanation.

[–] • 1 pt

Years back I would pay for my fuel and food by hunting the red rattlers. Five bucks for a rattle sold to Cuban witch doctors, Ten bucks for the meat which I would delicately barbecue, and 20 bucks for each skin which the Mexicans would happily buy and then fuck up because they didn't know how to tan the hides properly. Me, I would use a six step process to get them to good pliable leather stage.

Notice the rattle snake scales are "keeled" meaning they have a ridge down the center of each scale. That's the one feature I don't like much in rattle snake skins. I've tanned a Copperhead snake and I must say, their skin is much better because the scales are smooth so the skin ends up feeling more velvety when properly tanned.

Of course you can send the skins to a tannery but I vetoed that right from the start since they charge a ridiculous amount to do what I can easily do myself by hand.

Reptile skins are tough but thin so they are easy and quick to tan if you have a good system. Most directions people give on hand tanning are just not good instructions.