Yesterday while I was in St Augustine they found a 15 foot diamondback rattlesnake at the outlet mall. Finding a 15 foot rattlesnake is more than a frightening experience for somebody to blog about, it is a scientific discovery. Of the three rattlesnake varieties the eastern diamondback rattlesnake is the largest. The eastern diamondback rattlesnake is less commonly know as crotalus adamanteus and is a venomous pitviper species found in the southeastern United States. It is the heaviest venomous snake in the Americas and the largest rattlesnake. The average size of an eastern diamondback is 5.6 feet, and up until yesterday it was generally accepted that longest they could grow was approximately 8 feet long. Black mambas maxing out at 14 feet long were thought to be the longest venomous snake in existence. This 15 foot beast of a snake suggests otherwise.
The venom from an eastern diamondback has a mortality rate of around 30 percent, but that does not take into account the amount of venom. There is no way of telling without collecting a sample how much venom this snake could have delivered, and what sort of damage it could do. The fangs on this snake are larger than the fangs I have seen on any other. The most likely reason for this rattler to be at the outlet mall was that it was searching for larger prey. Average diamondbacks are known to prey on birds, rodents, and even rabbits. They strike their prey and follow the scent of the dying animal waiting until they have stopped struggling to eat. This particular diamondback looks large enough to eat cats and maybe even a dog or two.
Naturally people came to look and take pictures of the behemoth of a snake. The sheriff department and animal control took the situation very seriously, and took every safety precaution possible. As for what is going to happen to the snake now I am not sure. I do know that it will be studied for a time, but that it will most likely not be able to be kept in captivity. Rattlesnake that grew up in the wild do not lend themselves well to captivity. Still due to the nature of the beast and it being unique in its size it may end up in the Jacksonville or some other zoo.
