Nice looking Timber Rattlers. I stepped within a foot of one last year while squirrel hunting. It hissed but never rattled....never heard them hiss. I jumped so far I probably broke a Louisiana State record. I got this one (Canebrake aka Timber Rattler) with my 22 rifle and it had twelve rattlers but never thought of eating it. I would try it though. Just bought some nice snake boots...Chippewa.
Down here in Louisiana, we have five poisonous snakes: Canebrakes/Timber Rattlers, pygmy rattlers, cottonmouths, copperheads, and coral snakes. Cottonmouths seem to be the most aggressive. I learned quite a bit about snakes taking Herpetology in College. The Coral snake has a different venom than the other native snakes listed.
A lot of times you can smell them before you see them. They're capable of putting out a foul musky odor. That's why I always carry a 22lr pistol in the woods.
In NC I saw a boy dragged out of a pond with Cottonmouths all over him. I was just a kid myself and it was quite a shock.
I was told a similar story but it was in a local creek/bayou. They're very aggressive and I kill everyone I see.
We have bad snakes in this country, but nothing like Africa or Australia. This is a big pit viper...worthy of an AR 15 by the same name. http://www.capefearserpentarium.com/bushmaster-book.html
I remember in Herpetology learning about African species. The one I was most impressed with was the Gaboon Viper. It's the longest fanged viper in the world. It contains both types of venom (hemotoxin and neurotoxin).
