All snakes are too big, and they’re crowding our toilets and homes. But this is just getting ridiculous: An Arkansas man killed a massive western diamondback rattlesnake after it bit his puppy. How massive? Well, there’s some dispute about that. Original estimates were somewhere in the nine-foot range; according to Indefinitely Wild, the “largest western diamondback ever officially measured was 92.5 inches long.” That’s under eight feet.
Again, too big.
The camera perspective likely makes the rattler look extra imposing. It’s probably closer to six feet than eight, which is still terrifying, especially when you’re trying to dispose of the thing while wearing flip-flops. According to the amusingly named Herps of Arkansas, it’s illegal to kill any “non-game amphibian or reptile,” unless “it proves to be an imminent threat to persons or property (i.e. livestock or pets).” Arkansas is the Barry White of states.
Here’s an interview about snakes outside a gas station.
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(Via Indefinitely Wild)