This weekend, a friend and I made a last minute trip out to Joshua Tree National Park to search for photography opportunities. After doing a short hike, we drove into the main park entrance about 5:30pm. Although the temperature was starting to drop, the asphalt was still warm; it didn’t take long before we discovered this freshly road killed Speckled Rattlesnake (Crotalus mitchllii pyrrhus). Its a species I’ve always wanted to photograph–just not like this.
In Memoriam, May 2011
Its always somber to see road killed reptiles, but this was just the beginning. Not five minutes later, we pulled a very badly injured (fatally, I’m sure) coachwhip (Masticophis flagellum) off the road, and over the course of the evening, we found a gopher snake (Pituophis catenifer), and a red diamond rattlesnake (Crotalus ruber) that had been killed earlier in the day. It was carnage–easy to see why–with cars whizzing by us at 50-60 mph (25-35 mph over the posted speed limit).
Accidents happen, especially with fast-moving snakes like gopher snakes or coachwhips–they can jump out in front of a driver, with no hope of being avoided. But, as my friend pointed out, there is no excuse for killing a rattlesnake in a park where the speed limit is 25 or 35 miles per hour. They’re visible animals, and when following the speed limit, they can be avoided, largely because they are slow-moving.
April and May is peak camping season in Joshua Tree–the campgrounds are full, and people are everywhere. Right now, that time of day is suicide for a basking snake.
To make it worse, the red diamond rattlesnake we found later in the evening was missing its rattle. I hate to think about someone hitting the animal purposely to take the rattle (although I know of people who have done just that)–its a despicable act. Even if a later driver stopped to take it, I wouldn’t want to be that person if a park ranger came down the road!
I know I sound like a real square with this post, urging people to stick to the posted speed limit, but after what we witnessed this weekend in Joshua Tree, its obvious that slowing down could really help to save some beautiful wildlife from needless deaths.
This is really sad.
Ah damn WTH! This wasn’t close to the North West entrance was it?
I was there this weekend also – drove in from my hotel in Yucca. I had to swerve to miss one of these guys. I ended up pulling over to shoo it to the side of the road and into a bush though…
Really sad. Good point to make in your post though. Agree fully.
This was just inside the northern entrance to the park; we found the gopher snake up the Keys View road after dark, and the red diamond on our way out the west entrance about 11pm.
Hi Greg, I also was in JTNP this past weekend, and we saw quite a few dead snakes on the road. I’m glad you made this post. I hope you got some good photos…
Thanks, Phil. Aside from this, we had a really pleasant afternoon! Did you see the crazy lenticular developing on Saturday afternoon? I was sad to see it dissipate before sunset, but that’s life….
No, you are definitely not a square for suggesting people should drive the speed-limit in a national park. As far as I’m concerned the whole point of a national or state park is to provide some sanctuary for these critters. If people are purposely killing animals inside parks… I honestly can’t come up with words to describe how disgusted I am.
Thanks, Beth and Karan! I appreciate your comments, and thoughts. Its really sad to see how people are so focused on recreation, or the charismatic megafauna in the park, that they forget about the really important species close to the ground…
This is a very worthwhile post Greg… and no, you don’t sound square. I confess, as a youth, I liked to drive fast cars, but as i get older, I enjoy a sedate pace, taking in my surroundings, the wildlife, the light on the forests.
Really sorry to hear the numbers you mention. I must say, the amount of roadkill was one of my enduring memories of US road trips.
The culprit of the rattle removal deserves a nip on the nose from a live one…
Thoughtful post Greg and not square at all. Unfortunately the public might not be as sympathetic to snakes as panthers in Florida, but the point is that road kill is having a large unfortunate effect on our public lands across the country.
I agree that this is a worthwhile post, Greg. I believe in respecting life in any form but I do have to struggle with the desire to squish certain bugs. 🙂
Sharon
Another vote that you aren’t “square” at all Greg. I am amazed at how fast folks drive (of course, watch TV for a while and it’s easy to see how driving fast is subliminally burned into our subconscious) and the lack of concern for anything but their own entertainment. Grumble, grumble, grumble… Even on my little cul-de-sac ending street you don’t want to let your dog run loose at daycare pickup time. We’ve buried more than our share of squirrels and chipmunks.
The last place animals should have to fear for crossing a road should be in a state or national park.
Thanks for the thoughtful post and the not very pleasant but well taken image to illustrate.
Very nice post Greg, and I guess you’re not the only square around. Roadkill is inevitable to some extent, but when it comes from recklessness and indifference as people treat parks and other preserves as nothing more than scenic motorways, it’s a different story. And I’m very sympathetic to the cold-blooded things: after all, my pets are two ball pythons and a Woodhouse’s toad.
Good post Greg. Our thoughtlessness can be truly appalling.
Everybody is in such a hurry to get there they forget that the journey is part of the adventure. Worth while post.
Greg…..
This is an excellent post and a point that can’t be made too many times. I often mistakenly convince myself that I am in a hurry and therefore I habitually ignore speed limits. However, it seems to me that being in a hurry while enjoying a national park is contradictory in the least, as well as missing the point and probably at worst is the pathological version of the addiction to moving fast that disturbs many if not most Americans. My father and his contemporaries like Edward Abbey and David Brower, were continually crying out for us as a society and as individuals to SLOW DOWN. I believe Dad’s slow pace and enjoyment of life along the way were the main reasons he lived as long and happily as he did.
Thanks, David. Yes, I agree. In addition to being a lesson in wildlife conservation, this is also an excellent point in how we approach life. Living in southern California, I very often forget to “slow down and smell the roses.”
Perhaps I should take my own advice. 🙂
People speed through our National Parks, plain and simple. What’s the rush?? Is the point of being there not to slow down and enjoy the scenery? JTNP’s proximity to the Metro area guarantees citified driving in the Park. It’s not too difficult to slow down for and go around a snake on the roadway; unless, of course, you’re going too fast to see it…
Thanks for commenting, Michael. I’m sure, in your travels through the Mojave, you’ve seen this many times. I agree that JTNP’s location brings out day-trippers who are racing to get out of the park once the sun goes down (and when the critters come out).
I also agree that it is pretty easy to miss large snakes…if you’re moving slowly enough to spot them. Definitely a testament to slowing down…