I don’t know about you, but the last thing I expect to see in early December is a diamondback rattlesnake. It’s winter (well, as winter as we get here in central Texas), mostly cold, and they should be denning, right? Not so fast . . .
Last night at a few minutes past 7 pm I stepped out of our barn, slammed the barn door (slamming is required for it to actually close), and immediately heard the characteristic sound of a rattlesnake. You know the sound – the one that makes your adrenaline rush and stops you in your tracks. I turned and directed my flashlight toward the sound. Sure enough, there was a diamondback rattlesnake, merely five feet from the barn door I had just exited, letting me know it was there and that it was not at all pleased about the ruckus I created from my door slamming.
Yes, it was rather warm last night, but I thought snake season had passed. Turns out that their winter dormancy can periodically be interrupted during periods of warm weather. Now I know to pay closer attention when the calendar says it’s winter, but the weather says otherwise.