Very Cool Trail Cam Vid - Bobcat vs. Rattlesnake

[DougGuy]

This is pretty cool! Trailcam happened to be in the exact right spot!


https://youtu.be/SIcpg_pFbF8

[Winger Ed.]

Hench the term, 'quick as a cat'.

[ryanmattes]

Incredible. I used to keep and breed snakes, and they're fast, I know from experience. A rattler can go from coiled, strike, and back to coiled in under a quarter of a second. 200 milliseconds all the way through.

It takes longer than that for the pain of a bite to reach your brain in a human. You don't even know you're bit yet in that time.

That cat was batting the snake's head down when it struck. That means seeing the strike, and reacting to it effectively in something like 50-100 milliseconds.

The reflexes on a bobcat are amazing.

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[Three44s]

I would not have guessed the cat could take the snake that way, head on.

Very amazing!

Thanks for sharing

Three44s

[Der Gebirgsjager]

I got this film in my morning e-mail a couple of months ago, and my question was the same as yours: How did they happen to have a trail cam right at that location, and why?

I also noted that the cat kept attacking the snake from top down, hitting it on top of its head. Very interesting. It really does seem like the cat would have been bitten at least once........

DG

[kbstenberg]

Not to rain on anyone's parade. That is a Lynx not a Bobcat.

[DougGuy]

Not to rain on anyone's parade. That is a Lynx not a Bobcat.

Nope, bobcat. Bobcat has a banded tail, lynx the end of it's tail is black, and the tail is stubbier.

[Gator 45/70]

I'm surprised the bobcat was able to bite the head where the poison is at and still walk away?

[DougGuy]

I'm surprised the bobcat was able to bite the head where the poison is at and still walk away?

It bit right behind the head if you watch closely.

[ryanmattes]

The cat went for the neck, right behind the head.

I'm gonna be "that guy" for a minute. Sorry, it goes with having been involved with keeping snakes for a couple decades.

Snake venom isn't poisonous. Poisons are ingested, venom is injected. Venomous snake bites are essentially subcutaneous injections.

Ingesting snake venom might make you throw up, if you drink enough of it, but in most cases you won't end up envenomated like you would from a snake bite.

Now, rattlesnake venom is nasty stuff, and if you have cuts or damage in your mouth or throat, or ulcers in your stomach, venom can get into your bloodstream that way. But for the most part, getting a little venom in your mouth is unlikely to hurt you. I mean, I wouldn't do it for fun.

Cats, of all kinds, are pretty much born knowing what to do with snakes. No so for dogs, some know what to do, some just get bit.



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[Land Owner]

"Cat quick" is a term I have heard all of my life. Playing with house cats will teach you a measure of how quick. This video though is "quick" on another level.

That is one very contented cat after "the meal". It seems to be very happy while looking around for confirmation and "a pat on the back" following a successful encounter with a deadly adversary.

Any Biologists or Wildlife Behaviorists here? What does "rolling in the dirt" and "on the back of the snake" do?

[MrWolf]

Never would have thought the cat was that quick. Well deserved rolling in the victory dust.

[Electrod47]

That's one tough kitty

[Gator 45/70]

Well that certainly proves a couple of things here,

A bunch of us are faster than a bob-cat or snake.

Cool vid, Thanks for posting up, Got anymore?

[contender1]

Outstanding footage of a true wildlife encounter. As a ADC guy,, I study such things closely.
As noted,, the cat was striking downward, on top of the snake's head, everytime. And after a few hits,, the snake was slowing down it seemed,,, which was possible if injured.
And as noted,, the bite was just behind the head. I wonder if the cat actually ate the head or not.

But the rolling around,, not uncommon for cats. Marking things a bit, as well as getting the scent of the snake on them. I own 4 cats,, and I see the rolling behavior often,, especially on freshly washed sheets, clothes, or other things the cats deem need some marking.

I have enjoyed watching bobcats often in the wild. Quite enjoyable when they don't know you are around.

[ryanmattes]

As noted,, the cat was striking downward, on top of the snake's head, everytime. And after a few hits,, the snake was slowing down it seemed,,, which was possible if injured.
And as noted,, the bite was just behind the head. I wonder if the cat actually ate the head or not.


Probably a combination of exhaustion and injury. Snakes are fast, but they're sprinters, not marathon runners. They spend most of the day sitting very still to conserve energy, so they can use it for hunting or defending themselves.

Snakes are weird. They basically have their metabolism on a rheostat, and they can turn it up or down as needed as long as they're warm enough. Too cold and it'll only go up so high. With a high body temp, though, it can go up to 11.

I noticed that when the cat batted the snake's head, sometimes the claws were hooking in and pulling. So there was probably some injury involved. But they're pretty well armored, and they're pretty resilient. If the snake could've gotten away it would've been fine, but he cat's persistence just wore it down.

Fascinating to watch. We have bobcats on the property, and I occasionally get to see them tracking rabbits. Also faster than you would believe when they kick it into high gear.

Most predators that eat snakes don't eat the head. Usually organ meats first, then the muscle.

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[quilbilly]

Rattlers have a hard life. Every other predator seems to eat them. I ALMOST feel sorry for them. That is one skinny lynx! Young, too.

[Texas by God]

Due to the ear tufts, I thought it to be a lynx and thought- do they have rattlesnakes up north? When the cat lay down, I first thought that it got bit and was feeling the effects. Nope, just enjoying life.

[Alan in Vermont]

Rattlers have a hard life. Every other predator seems to eat them. I ALMOST feel sorry for them. That is one skinny lynx! Young, too.

So was Rikki-Tikki-Tavi. But he was still able to count coup on Nagaina, the Cobra.

[Handloader109]

Love it. Now you know a cat can take out a snake... Thanks for posting

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