Hiker In Tucson, Arizona, Offers Water To Rattlesnake And Its Reaction Goes Viral
Andrea Powell
As Jaoquin Phoenix states, "It takes NOTHING away from a human to be kind to an animal," even ones that we are deathly afraid of.
Most people are terrified of rattlesnakes and would stay as far away as possible if they saw one on a hike. However, one man stopped on a scorching hot day in Tucson, Arizona, to offer a coiled-up rattlesnake a drink of water.
The kindhearted and brave hiker @cdkeppel shared his experience along with a video that will possibly change how you feel about rattlesnakes, or at least this one.
"So on the 52nd day of 53 with 100° + temps I came across this rattlesnake. With no real monsoon and excessive heat I decided to see if it needed water. It was a bit shocked at first but right away knew it wasn’t a threat and that it was just water. After drinking a bit the snake rearranged its coils close and tight to capture the water. It was so thirsty I even went back and refilled my water a second time."
@visittucson This would only happen in Tucson. Repost: @cdkeppel Thirsty rattlesnake - So on the 52nd day of 53 with 100° + temps I came across this rattlesnake. With no real monsoon and excessive heat I decided to see if it needed water. It was a bit shocked at first but right away knew it wasn’t a threat and that it was just water. After drinking a bit the snake rearranged its coils close and tight to capture the water. It was so thirsty I even went back and refilled my water a second time . #igers_tucson #alwaysadventuring #snake #azherps #desertvibes #sonorandesert #oh_arizona #ig_arizona #explorearizona_ #viral #wildarizona #see_arizona #vibes_of_arizona #diamondback #alwayswandering #rattlesnake #conquerarizona #divine_deserts #westerndiamondback #wonderfulsouthwest #instagramaz #capturearizona #arizonahiking #gooddead #visittucson #ig_southwest #arizona_landscapes #atrox #azwildlife #rrawimpact #snake #tucson #water ♬ original sound - Visit Tucson
The video was reposted on TikTok by @visittucson with the caption, "This would only happen in Tucson." It has been viewed over 3 million times and people couldn't resist commenting on what they just saw.
@axelgearheart wrote, "he's like 'I'm so grateful but I have a reputation to uphold so I'm gonna shake my tail'." While others shared what they thought the snake was thinking.
'Snake: “This doesn’t change anything!”', added @anztah. While @abutterflynette thinks, "Is there such a thing as a 'thank you' rattle? Cuz I swear that's it."
We commend this man for showing kindness to a rattlesnake, but people should still be cautious and keep their distance.
How Do Rattlesnakes Drink Water?
Most people who watched the clip commented that they have never seen a rattlesnake drink water before. This got us to thinking about how they survive in the desert where it rarely rains.
Researchers discovered that rattlesnakes use their special dorsal scales to collect water "by providing a sticky, hydrophobic surface that 'pins' water droplets to the surface." Their findings were published in Science Daily.
The answer to how they drink is... "Rattlesnakes drink rain droplets from scales on their backs. This unusual behavior could help them survive in a desert environment with infrequent rain."
