Rattler and D

That kid looks funny.

wth?

I am sure you will get crap about this picture, EVEN THOUGH THE SNAKE IS TUBED, just because it is a child and a rattler. I just want to say that given the right and properly supervised circumstances, what you are doing is HIGHLY commendable. I applaud you. This picture brings back so many memories from my childhood. The largest difference being, I had no one to teach me. Childhood is the most influential time in a person's life, and the values they learn then will hold with them all the way through life, regardless of which road(s) they take. You are instilling valuable lessons in this child, and I want to thank you for sharing the photo. I hope more people see this photo and see that there is NO FEAR whatsoever on the child's face, and that some one has taken the responsibility all of us as herpers have; to educate and alieviate people of their fears of serpents and reptiles in general. Again, I applaud you!!

Very well said.

Agreed!!! Very nice statement!!

it that a northern or southern pacific? or other?

Very well said, Lizard. That is a good picture.

very well said, I wish everyone would educate their children about different types of animals, venomous or not.This would save me a lot time explaining to people that various water snakes aren't copperheads( it happens an awful lot!)

Loved the photo.
Thanks Gabby

very well said. My husband got a load of crap for a pic of our daughter holding our then 18" gator, now 3 ft. Every child should be able to have experiences like these!

Hello
I am glad to see good responses to this photo.
It is a Northern pacific.
We tube this one in Vacaville,Ca. about 1/4 mile away from a housing track. The area is a great place it is roughly about two football fields long. They have pushed all the boulders to the base for the mountain I would say you can see a Rattler every 50 feet or so.
My son always stays right next to my side away from the boulders. We have never seen any in the weeds they are always in the boulders. About a month later we purchased lacrosse snake boots and I also custom made pants of 1000 denier Cordura for him. Needles to say I do not know if they work. We have not been struck at And hope never to find out If they work either.
He has a great appreciation for snakes of all kinds and all reptiles too.
My would like to wrestle a crocodile any one able to hook him up with Steve Irwin?

There are other, more safer ways to educate a small child about snakes and other reptiles.... This is a disaster waiting to happen..... I am suprized no one else sees this..... Those statements are anything but well said.... There is no piece of handling equipment thay makes it safe for a child to handle a rattlesnake or any hot for that matter.... I have had snakes split midwest tube wide open.... What would that little kid do in a situation where the snake did not want to be tubed anymore???? I as an experiance handler have had mishaps involved with tubes.... There is nothing commendable about this photo or the actions taking place.... I really hope that what I think will surely happen, never does..... Oh, and snake fangs will go through denier like a hot knife through butter..... Thats almost as bad as thinking kevlar will stop a snake fang....

I see it gregmm,could you imagine what child protective services would do if they saw this

Oh good Lord!!! When you get behind the wheel of a car it is a disaster waiting to happen, when you let your kids outside to play these days it is a disaster waitng to happen,lots of things could happen and don't!! Yes I as a mother see the potential danger here but I also see a boy able to learn from his father which i can honestly say needs to happen more, you are more likely to die or get hurt in a car accident than by a snake and a tubed one at that!! Lighten Up!!!!!!!

what he is saying is this is a venomous snake and even though i like them i dont think they are good teching tools there are other sayfer ways to tech kids the importance of these animails not to mention the handling technic

kykeeper you mean cottonmouth right

Can someone tell me how that snake could possibly harm that kid inside that tube.