Central Florida Woman Captures Image of Large 7-Foot Rattlesnake Crossing A Road

By  //  July 10, 2017

Cathy Terry shared a picture on her Facebook page of a large Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake crossing a road a few miles south Bartow. (Cathy Terry Image)

POLK COUNTY, FLORIDA – A Central Florida woman captured an image of a highly unusual sight from her truck on Friday.

Cathy Terry shared a picture on her Facebook page of a large Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake crossing a road a few miles south Bartow.

“It was a monster,” said Terry. “It was crossing the road right in front of us and it’s length was about 1/2 of a 2-lane road, maybe a 7-footer.”

The eastern diamondback rattlesnake is the largest venomous snake in North America. Some reach 8 feet in length and weigh up to 10 pounds, according to National Geographic.

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Eastern diamondbacks can normally live beyond 20 years, but life expectancy in the wild is now typically shorter because of hunting and human expansion.

Reptile magazine says the eastern diamondback preys preferably on rabbits and rodents, but also eats ground dwelling birds. Most captives, whether neonate or adult, readily accept rodents.

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