Researching a different topic, I happened across this thread from approx. 4 years ago (warning, graphic photos):

http://www.aldeer.com/forum/ubbthreads. ... 668&page=1

If you read the thread, there are some large overall lengths reported, and in a pleasant departure from the standard "fisherman's lie" photos we've all seen and debunked, the featured snake in the thread appears to be accurately depicted.

Interesting comments on how to best prepare and cook rattlesnake, for those inclined. Note: I'm not advocating going out and killing rattlesnakes, but I did find it of interest.

ive thought about frying up a fresh road kill Maybe ill give it a try this year.

That is not a 55in. rattlesnake...more like 36 inches...

I think all that birdwatching has thrown off your mental-calibration skills.

Let's say the measurement across the guy's fist is a not-very-impressive 4 inches (I'm using his fist as a reference, since he's holding up the snake in one of the photos so it's at the same distance from the camera as the snake is). Using this reference, the snake is about 48 inches long.

Or, you can use the bricks on the wall of the house as a reference. Assuming they're only 6 inches long (erring conservatively--those would be short bricks), the snake is at least 48 inches long.

I don't think 55 inches is unreasonable.

Made a himalayan possum stew on account that you found himalayan in the road?

I've tagged and taken home a road-killed deer. It was "very" fresh though (as in it the back of the pickup within minutes of it's last heartbeat).

A family member was once driving down a highway and definitely didn't see a large road-killed elk there, then saw one on the way back. Knowing it couldn't have been their more than an hour, he cut out the tenderloins and took them home.

I still say it is not 55 in. More like 40" at the most...

I hear tell those taste like chicken...or was it tuna? I can't remember...