All language subtitles for B.W.S08E09.A.Rattlesnakes.Rattle.1080p.AMZN.WEB-DL.DD2.0.H.264-playWEB_track3_[eng]

There's an old saying,

if at first you don't succeed,
try, try, and try again.

When it comes to featuring the
elusive timber rattlesnake,

this saying seems to
be our team motto.

Oh my gosh.

The terrain that we traverse
looking for rattlesnakes

is a challenge unlike anything
we've really ever done before.

And this is our third venture
out looking for timbers,

and it never gets any easier.

Sun is really beaten down
on us, and you see all

this distance down behind me.

These mountain sides
are what we essentially

scale looking for these
perfect clusters of rocks

where are the snakes
will be out and sunning.

It takes a toll on your
body, that's for sure.

Time to catch up
to Tim and Mario.

This hike is definitely testing
our will to find these snakes.

Today we have gained
special permissions

to explore what is known as
a right of way that was built

several years ago
during the insertion

of a natural gas pipeline.

Upon initial installment,
this type of construction

would have had an adverse
impact on the local wildlife.

Yet beyond construction, it
has become an ideal habitat

for many species.

Insanely steep, brush covered,
and strewn with a jumble

of various rock
sizes, this is now

the perfect safe haven for
our sought after target,

the timber rattlesnake.

Wow.

I mean, we're always talking
about how beautiful West

Virginia is, but when you
make it to the top of a bluff

like this, check out the view.

That is something.

My goodness.

Wild and wonderful West
Virginia right there.

Endless miles of
possible snake territory.

But are we going to find one?

That's the real question.

Once again we have teamed up
with wildlife expert Tim Brust.

You likely recognize Tim
from a variety of episodes

on the "Brave
Wilderness" channel,

but it's truly the timber
rattlesnake that we

can define as his specialty.

Currently Tim has
been conserving

these snakes by mitigating
human snake interactions.

Simply put, he
explores the areas

that are about to go
under construction,

finds, and safely
moves these reptiles

from the path of bulldozers.

During this process, he
also educates field crews

about these misunderstood
animals, which

helps to keep the snakes alive
and the human safe from having

an unwanted venomous encounter.

We are going down at a pretty
considerable angle right now

in our search for
timber rattlesnakes.

Now a lot of this environment
has this crumbled flat rock,

right, all of this, this
almost like sheet rock.

So we're lifting up these
giant pieces of rock

and looking beneath
them for snakes.

You hear that?

It is completely hollow
underneath this rock,

and it's very big,
which means there's

no chance of flipping it.

But I came down and I scouted
this after walking over it

and look at this.

That right there is an absolute
perfect spot for a timber

rattlesnake to be hiding.

Now you would never want
to stick your hand up

and underneath a rock like that
to sift through the leaves.

A bite from a timber rattlesnake
could definitely kill you.

It's just a matter of
covering ground and searching,

searching, searching.

The more ground we cover, the
better the chances we have

of finding a snake.

The western hemisphere is home
to 32 different rattlesnake

species, and in my
opinion, the timber rattler

is one of the most iconic.

We have been trying for years
to share the species with you,

but today things
are about to change.

So Tim and Mario or ahead of me.

They just called out.

They found a timber rattlesnake.

Making my way as fast I
can down this rocky slope.

I'm coming, I'm
coming, I'm coming.

OK, this is it.

We've got a timber rattlesnake.

Yes!

Oh my gosh, that
snake is beautiful.

OK, it sounds like
we've got two snakes.

So what we're doing
is just bagging

the snake for the moment to see
if we can get the bigger one.

Yeah, really big snake,
really big snake.

All right, what do you
need me to do, Tim?

Whoa, holy mackerel,
that is huge snake.

We can't--

we can't--

Here,
hold the tongs here.

You got it?

Yep.

Watch out.

Here's the head
here.

Let's be really
careful there's

no other snakes in the area.

So what's happening right
now is we've got a very

big snake underneath this rock.

It's a very dangerous situation.

You can see how steep it
is right here, so we've

got to be very careful.

There are also other
snakes within the rocks,

so we're going to slowly peel
back pieces of these rocks

and see if we can
safely get the snake.

Check it out.

There are sheds of snake
skin all over the place.

We have found a spot.

It's been quite the hike
to get to this spot,

but we have finally got a timber
rattlesnake, several of them

actually.

Oh my God.

It's a big snake.

Oh my God.

Hold him,
hold him, hold him.

Wow.

That is a huge rattlesnake.

OK, do we have
another bag with us?

Yep.

OK.

In total, we were able to secure
three snakes, one of which

appeared to be a gravid female.

This is incredibly exciting for
the future of this population.

Beautiful.

And to
ensure she does not get

stressed, we immediately
release her back into the rocks.

Don't want to get
any closer than that.

How about that, Mario?

We finally got our timber.

We got multiple timbers.

Oh my gosh.

That is a good sized snake.

All right, so what
we're going to do

is actually put the snake in
a snake bag at the moment.

It is definitely a
big snake, but we

can't film right here we
have to take it to a slightly

more controlled setting.

So we're going to safely bag
it, move it, and then bring it

back down here for the release.

When you're bagging
a snake, you always

want to secure it
at the back side

of the bag with the snake hook.

Snakeskin.

That means this is a healthy
population of rattlesnakes that

hang out in this area here.

We've hit the
rattlesnake mother lode.

That's for sure.

With the
two other snakes contained,

we begin the arduous climb back
up the steep sides of the right

away.

This is a very slow and
very delicate process.

Mario, are you doing OK?

Actually I tell you what,
it's really hard on the forearm.

You got to keep the snake
well away from your body

so it doesn't swing on you.

Snakes can bite easily
through the bags,

and most people are
envenomated when they're

transporting snakes like this.

So you have to be very careful.

There's the snakes.

That's where we came from.

And that is where
we're still going.

A lot of effort but
totally worth it.

Wow.

There it is, the
timber rattlesnake.

This is our third
attempt at finding

one of these
reptiles in the wild,

and my goodness is
this one handsome.

Now the name timber
rattlesnake comes from the fact

that you find these
snakes in forested areas,

and they are cryptic.

Unless you know exactly what
it is that you're looking for,

your odds of seeing one
are rather pretty slim.

Unless you stumble
upon it and it

gives you that
warning of its rattle,

you may walk right past it.

Now as compared to the other
rattlesnake species here

in the United States,
I'd actually consider

this species rather docile.

Their defense is always going to
be to rely on their camouflage

first.

If you get too close, this
is exactly what you're going

to hear, that rattle
going into full action,

basically a security system
that says you're too close.

Get any closer and
you may take a bite.

You can see how close
I am to the snake right

now, just about a foot
and a half from it.

I don't want to make
any sudden movements

and provoke it to
striking, but it definitely

senses that I'm here.

And the rattlesnake is the
pinnacle of snake evolution.

What I want you guys to
really take a look at

are the heat sensing pits
right in front of the eye

and right below the
nostril that allow

these snakes to pick up the
heat signatures of their prey.

Basically all they
need to do is lay

in wait as an ambush predator
for something to come close.

Their tongue will flick out,
they will sense the chemicals,

the smell of that
prey item, and then

with those heat
sensing pits, they

can hone in almost like
a heat seeking missile

and then strike out
with those hinged fangs.

Remember that fangs are
like hypodermic needles,

and the second day
inject that venom,

that prey item has pretty
much no chance of surviving.

Now if it's something like
a small rabbit or a rat,

a chipmunk, a squirrel
and it runs off

the snake will actually follow
the scent of that prey item

until it succumbs to
the venom and then it's

capable of swallowing
down its meal.

And those fangs work
individually of one another,

and they will almost use
those, like, grappling

hooks to drag their prey
backwards into their mouths.

Now the things are
modified teeth,

but all snakes
have multiple rows

of teeth within
their mouth that are

constantly being replaced
throughout the course

of the snake's life.

So as the fangs
draw the prey in,

the other teeth work
it back down the throat

and they swallow
their prey whole.

Now as compared to other
rattlesnake species

in the United States, I would
say the timber rattlesnake

is more ambush
than it is nomadic.

They will always
lay in wait waiting

for their prey to come to them.

Any small mammals
or small amphibians

that they come across within
the forested environment

make perfect prey.

And a snake of this size,
which measures I would guess

just a little over
three feet in length

is considered a
full grown adult.

You may be saying to
yourselves, Coyote,

you guys are so good at being
able to come across animals.

How come it's taken
you so many attempts

to find the timber rattlesnake?

This species
specifically has been

persecuted beyond what other
rattlesnakes have even faced.

A lot of times people will
come across the den, which

is known as a hibernaculum.

Once they see this,
a huge collection

of snakes, what they
will do is sometimes

dump concrete or gasoline
and burn these snakes

or bury them alive,
so you can wipe

out an entire
population of snakes

by doing something like that.

So seeing one of these snakes
actually several of them

like this in the wild in a
very difficult to reach spot

is a very positive thing.

It means that the
population is thriving.

Nothing makes us more
excited than to see

a thriving population
of timber rattlesnakes.

This is just such
a cool reptile.

Now the next most
important thing

that we need to do
is actually collect

the biometrics of
this snake and to do

that, what we're going
to do is gently get it

into a snake tube.

This will put the least
amount of stress on the snake

and will be the safest
scenario for both myself,

Tim, and the crew to be
able to handle the snake.

What I also want to do is
get a more up close look

at that rattle because when
it comes to rattlesnakes,

nothing is more impressive
than that defense system.

All right, snake is on the move.

All right, Tim,
so what would you

like me to do to help with
this part of the procedure?

Now these guys, you
want to gently direct

their head into the tube.

I got it.

So he goes in,
just set the tube at an angle

if you can downward.

OK.

Sometimes
it takes 30 seconds.

Sometimes it takes 20 minutes.

Grab, grab, grab, grab,
grab, grab, grab now.

Quick, quick, quick.

Now push him in.

Push him up.

There you go.

Two on the tube,
two on the snake.

Woo.

That was not easy.

Wow, that is a powerful snake.

My goodness.

With the snakes safely
tubed, Tim and I

are able to quickly collect
the biometrics, which include

the snake's total
length, scale count

below the cloaca to determine
the reptile's sex, and finally

a rattle button count.

This doesn't tell us anything
specifically scientific.

It's just cool to
compare rattle sizes.

That rattle is one of the most
unique aspects of this snake,

and the rattle
itself is actually

made out of modified scales.

You can actually see
the way that it's

growing out of the tip of the
rattlesnake's tail itself.

Now inside its tail are a bunch
of very specialized muscles

that allow the tail
to vibrate at a very

high rate, which causes the
rattle to actually rattle.

So I can rattle it
myself like that,

or I let go of those
muscles, the rattlesnake

will rattle it on its own.

Now the rattle is made out of
something known as keratin,

the same material that the
scale's are made out of

and the same thing that your
hair and your fingernails

are made of.

People always want to
know, well, what's inside

the rattle of a rattlesnake.

Truth be told, nothing at all.

They're actually interlocking
segments that are hollow.

They're known as buttons.

And when they vibrate against
each, other that is where

you get the rattling sound.

Now you cannot tell the
age of a rattlesnake

by the number of buttons.

People often think
that like the rings

of a tree, if you
count those buttons,

you can tell how
old the snake is.

That is not true because
throughout the course

of the snake's life, it can
lose segments of its rattle

but a new button comes into
place every single time

this snake sheds its skin.

Now this snake here has 1, 2,
3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11,

12, 13 buttons on that rattle.

Honestly this is
the largest rattle

I've ever seen on any
of the rattlesnakes

we have featured on the
"Brave Wilderness" channel.

Truly a unique aspect of
this snake's evolution

that makes it so
incredibly distinct as

compared to any other
snake around the world.

Well, how cool was this,
spending an unbelievable amount

of time searching
for and finally

finding the timber rattlesnake.

I'm Coyote Peterson.

Be brave.

Stay wild.

We'll see you on
the next adventure.

For anyone that
has ever spent time

exploring in the southwest,
I'm willing to bet

there's a good chance that
you have seen a lizard.

However, there's a big
difference between seeing

and catching a lizard.

When it comes to
Arizona's Sonoran Desert,

one of my favorite species
is the desert iguana,

which is actually
pretty easy to track

down as long as you follow the
right signs in the environment.

One key to having an animal
encounter is being able to be

patient, which is
oftentimes easier

said than done,
especially when dealing

with the heat of the desert.

Oh, it is scorching hot.

It is about 105 degrees.

We've been out here since
about 6:00 this morning.

We're approaching
noon right now,

which is OK because the desert
iguana does better in high heat

than most other lizard species.

We are in a field of creosote
bushes and mesquite trees--

The sun beating down,
its beams of light

slowly cooking us
as we rounded spine

covered plants and stared
into empty creosote bushes.

I mean, there are
literally thousands

of these creosote
bushes out here,

and you can see how
sparse they are.

I mean, you can pretty
much walk up like this,

look in, no lizard, keep moving.

Time seemed to be
dragging on forever

until finally I
spotted our target.

There's one right there.

Well, it's a lizard.

I can't tell if it's
a desert iguana,

but there's definitely
a lizard right

there basking in that tree.

Oh, this is it.

OK, I don't know if I'm
going to be able to catch it.

This the first we've seen.

He's pretty low.

He's probably got a
burrow right under there.

OK.

Follow me.
Let me see if we can get him.

This is just-- we're going
to have one shot at this.

It is.

It's a desert iguana.

You see he's just
up on that branch.

He's holding on.

He's got his foot wrapped
around that branch.

OK, I'm pretty much
just going to have

to make a jump into
that creosote bush

and try to grab him.

Are you ready?

1, 2, 3.

He got right down that burrow.

Dang it.

Well, we know where he is.

Did you see how fast they are?

Unbelievably fast.

All right, first
thing we need to do

is block up any other possible
exits for this burrow.

And then what I'm going to
use his a bottle of water

dump that down the
hole, and hopefully

I'll get him flushed back out.

All right, we ready?

Not the smartest thing to do
with your last bottle of water

in the desert, but when you
want to catch a desert iguana,

sometimes you don't
have many options.

During monsoon season, burrows
flood on a daily basis.

So what I'm doing is
replicating a completely natural

occurrence.

This burrow might
be really deep.

Shoot.

We're going to need more water.

We're going to need more water.

Things don't always
go according to plan,

and when it comes
to catching lizards,

this is often the case.

Now it's fair to say
that these reptiles are

considerably faster than I am.

However, I'd argue that
they definitely are

not smarter than this Coyote.

Dang it.

Well, we know where he is.

It was time to call in plan
B, the man-made monsoon.

Now in the desert when huge
monsoon rains pour down,

all these burrows flood,
which drives the animals

up out of the ground.

We're going to pour gallons
of water into this burrow,

hopefully get the desert
iguana to shoot out of there,

and I'll be able to catch it.

It's going to be tough, but
we're not going to give up yet.

We sent our wildlife biologist
Mario huffing across the desert

and back to our vehicle where
he would retrieve our emergency

five-gallon reserve of water.

I got to sit here underneath
this creosote bush

and watch the hole in
case the lizard comes out.

This is literally
a stakeout now.

Anything could be
living in that hole,

so it makes me a little
nervous just laying here.

But that's my move.

I guess I could sit
here and practice 'cause

we're gonna get one shot.

If we get these
gallons of water here

and that lizard does pop
back up out of the burrow,

if I don't get it
on the first try,

we're not going to have
another shot at it.

45 minutes later and Mario
returned with the water.

All right, we're back.

Bring it on in, Mario.

Mario has huffed
across the desert

and has brought back with him--

what is that, five
gallons of water?

Five gallons.

If that doesn't get this
iguana out of that burrow,

you guys will have seen
your first official

miss on breaking trail.

See, everybody's
always asking, Coyote,

do you always catch the animals?

This is truly one
of those instances

where I think we're going to
release this episode even if I

don't catch it just
because of how much

work we've gone through
to try to get it.

OK, you guys, ready?

I'm going to tip
it and just kind

of start to funnel it in there.
Ready?

Yep.
- 1, 2, 3.

The method I'm using to draw
the iguana up from this burrow

simulates a completely natural
occurrence in the desert

during monsoon season.

So this is in no way hurting
the animal or the environment.

It's a lot of water.

Come on.

Something's moving.

Something's
definitely coming up.

I could hear it.

Got him!

Oh.

Did you guys see that!

Could you see his
leg sticking up!

Oh,
man, your hand's dirty.

Oh my gosh.

My hand is shaking.

I didn't know when I should
actually reach for him,

and we actually got him.

Can you guys believe
that that just happened?

Oh my gosh.

That may be the most
impressive catch I have

ever pulled off in my life.

Did
you think you were

actually going to catch him?
I did not.

I thought it was
pretty hopeless.

As we sent Mario back to
get that giant jug of water

literally sitting here for,
what, a good 45 minutes staring

at the burrow,
nothing coming out,

I figured it was connected
to one of these other holes,

and he was long gone.

But sometimes if
you wait it out,

you can catch the desert iguana.

Now this is a
lizard species that

is very active during the day.

As you can see,
incredibly quick as it

jumped out of that creosote
bush and darted into a burrow.

And they're pretty docile.

If you can manage to catch
one of these lizards--

as you can see, it's
not trying to bite me.

It's really just hanging
out at this point.

All right, bring your camera
in a little bit closer there.

Look at the eyes of that lizard.

Now this is primarily
a diurnal species,

which means that they're
out during the day.

That's why they're so in tune
to everything that's moving

around in their environments.

The cryptic color
pattern on this lizard

allows it to perfectly blend
into these sandy environments,

and their bellies are
incredibly smooth,

which allows them
to quickly scurry

across hot sand surfaces.

Now the desert iguana is related
to the green iguana, which

is native to Central
and South America,

but here in the Southwest,
this is the only iguana

that you're going to bump into.

Let's talk about this
lizard's tail for a second.

Look at how long that is.

About twice the
length of the body.

Now they use these tails to
help them balance in the trees

when they're trying to eat the
flowers of the creosote bush,

but also when they're on the
ground and they're running,

they can almost lift their body
just slightly up off the sand

and the tail works like a
rudder as it helps them navigate

across the desert terrain.

Now one of the coolest
and grossest facts

about this lizard is
that they don't only

eat those delicious little
creosote bush flowers.

They also eat the fecal pellets
of other desert iguanas.

Do you guys know what
a fecal pellet is?

That's a poop.

You eat other desert
iguana's poop.

The reason that they
eat these fecal pellets

is to balance out the amount of
cellulose that is in their gut.

So gross.

Let me smile your breath.

Doesn't smell like he's been
eating any turds this morning.

Smells like you been eating
some creosote bush flowers.

Kind of gross but also kind
of neat at the same time.

Well, it certainly wasn't easy,
but a little bit of patience

and five gallons of water, and
we managed to catch ourselves

one awesome desert iguana.

Time to get this little
guy back into the wild

and see what else we can find
out here in the Sonoran Desert.

I'm Coyote Peterson.

Be brave.

Stay wild.

We'll see you on
the next adventure.