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 Post subject: Rattlesnake/Ground Squirrel Research - Part 4
PostPosted: Fri Jun 26, 2009 4:47 pm 

Joined: Thu Jul 24, 2008 6:46 pm
Posts: 80
an evening hike
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the crew
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western pond turtles
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some nice fungi
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cricket
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baby quail
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a cool tree
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rattler wandered into one of our blinds
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procedure for marking squirrels
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administering a healthy dose of ketamine
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getting his weight
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starting to feel the effects
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marking his ID#
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visit from a gray fox
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rattlesnake swallowing a squirrel pup
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finally, we got a visit from National Geographic, who filmed our snakes for the series "Moment of Impact" which will be airing next year
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meet "Phantom." it shoots up to 1000 frames per second and is worth more than your house
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snake of the hour, prepping for his film debut
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Matt, setting up a tethered snake
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the fishing line tether
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"pissed off snake take one"
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crew shot, with award winning cameraman/director Alastair MacEwen, who's work you'll recognize from Planet Earth, as well as almost all of David Attenborough's "Life of" series. See his website here: http://www.macewen.co.uk/
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 Post subject: Re: Rattlesnake/Ground Squirrel Research - Part 4
PostPosted: Fri Jun 26, 2009 5:08 pm 
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Joined: Sun Aug 07, 2005 2:02 am
Posts: 275
Location: julian ca
great photos whens part 5


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 Post subject: Re: Rattlesnake/Ground Squirrel Research - Part 4
PostPosted: Fri Jun 26, 2009 5:19 pm 
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Joined: Sun Feb 05, 2006 2:28 pm
Posts: 231
Location: San Marcos, TX
Awesome, great post, I still need to catch up on a couple of the previous ones. Keep them coming!!

BTW you were NOT kidding about that camera, I just looked it up and the DAILY RENTAL price is $2,500!!!


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 Post subject: Re: Rattlesnake/Ground Squirrel Research - Part 4
PostPosted: Sat Jun 27, 2009 6:02 am 
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Joined: Sun Jul 30, 2006 11:02 am
Posts: 934
Location: Chicago (LaGrange), Illinois
I have really enjoyed this series. Peter B. :clap: :clap:


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 Post subject: Re: Rattlesnake/Ground Squirrel Research - Part 4
PostPosted: Sat Jun 27, 2009 7:39 am 
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Joined: Thu Apr 03, 2008 7:23 am
Posts: 603
Location: Ventura, CA
Very interesting stuff. Might be a stupid question but what's up with the tether?


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 Post subject: Re: Rattlesnake/Ground Squirrel Research - Part 4
PostPosted: Sat Jun 27, 2009 8:41 am 
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Joined: Sun Feb 06, 2005 10:29 pm
Posts: 2310
Location: Seattle, WA
This is a really cool series of photos.

I am surprised you can handle those ground squirrels like that without them chewing you up.


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 Post subject: Re: Rattlesnake/Ground Squirrel Research - Part 4
PostPosted: Sat Jun 27, 2009 9:28 am 
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Joined: Thu Feb 26, 2009 9:39 pm
Posts: 213
Location: bakersfield hdbb
PBR streetgang wrote:
This is a really cool series of photos.

I am surprised you can handle those ground squirrels like that without them chewing you up.


You must have missed the picture labeled "administering a healthy dose of ketamine".


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 Post subject: Re: Rattlesnake/Ground Squirrel Research - Part 4
PostPosted: Sat Jun 27, 2009 9:38 am 
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Joined: Sat Jan 20, 2007 7:29 pm
Posts: 263
Location: Nacogdoches, TX
Nice post. Looks like a fun project!

Brendan


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 Post subject: Re: Rattlesnake/Ground Squirrel Research - Part 4
PostPosted: Sat Jun 27, 2009 9:48 am 
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Joined: Sun Feb 06, 2005 10:29 pm
Posts: 2310
Location: Seattle, WA
waters954 wrote:
PBR streetgang wrote:
This is a really cool series of photos.

I am surprised you can handle those ground squirrels like that without them chewing you up.


You must have missed the picture labeled "administering a healthy dose of ketamine".


Yep, missed it. I guess it helps when they're wasted.


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 Post subject: Re: Rattlesnake/Ground Squirrel Research - Part 4
PostPosted: Sun Jun 28, 2009 8:40 pm 

Joined: Thu Jul 24, 2008 6:46 pm
Posts: 80
thanks for the replies. yea, we would not be able to handle those squirrels without the ketamine. and the tether is used to observe rattlesnake/squirrel interactions without the snake escaping off into a burrow, etc.


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 Post subject: Re: Rattlesnake/Ground Squirrel Research - Part 4
PostPosted: Sun Jun 28, 2009 8:57 pm 
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Joined: Sat Nov 13, 2004 1:38 pm
Posts: 900
Location: Kansas City, Mo
Whoa, was that Jack Black?


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 Post subject: Re: Rattlesnake/Ground Squirrel Research - Part 4
PostPosted: Mon Jun 29, 2009 5:00 am 
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Joined: Tue Apr 21, 2009 6:00 pm
Posts: 392
Location: Houston, TX
That photo of the rattler swallowing the ground squirrel was amazing.

Good work, can't wait to see the show.


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 Post subject: Re: Rattlesnake/Ground Squirrel Research - Part 4
PostPosted: Mon Jun 29, 2009 7:27 am 
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Joined: Thu Apr 03, 2008 7:23 am
Posts: 603
Location: Ventura, CA
z10silver wrote:
the tether is used to observe rattlesnake/squirrel interactions without the snake escaping off into a burrow, etc.


That would have been my assumption but it doesn't look like you could pull a stubborn snake backwards out of a hole with just that and not have to yard to hard on it. Guess it works or you wouldn't use it.


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 Post subject: Re: Rattlesnake/Ground Squirrel Research - Part 4
PostPosted: Tue Jun 30, 2009 10:26 am 
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Joined: Wed Sep 20, 2006 2:27 am
Posts: 2161
Location: Redding, CA
monklet wrote:
z10silver wrote:
the tether is used to observe rattlesnake/squirrel interactions without the snake escaping off into a burrow, etc.


That would have been my assumption but it doesn't look like you could pull a stubborn snake backwards out of a hole with just that and not have to yard to hard on it. Guess it works or you wouldn't use it.


I don't know, but I'm guessing it is easier with non constrictors.


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 Post subject: Re: Rattlesnake/Ground Squirrel Research - Part 4
PostPosted: Tue Jun 30, 2009 12:08 pm 
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Joined: Thu Nov 10, 2005 9:11 am
Posts: 1008
Location: Georgia
I'd like a job like that... if it paid twice as much.

Loved the rodent sequence... snake included.


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 Post subject: Re: Rattlesnake/Ground Squirrel Research - Part 4
PostPosted: Tue Jun 30, 2009 8:45 pm 

Joined: Thu Jul 24, 2008 6:46 pm
Posts: 80
well, if possible we try and set up the tethered snake away from any nearby squirrel burrows, but we have had it break free on a few occasions


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