Several years ago I was out on an insect collection/cataloging trip with scientists from the Smithsonian and couple of university professors, what a trip! Anyway we were in the vicinity of the Goshen scout camp in SW Virginia. I was walking a narrow woodland trail at midday in July when I began to hear the rattle of a rattlesnake up ahead (perhaps 100' or so) and around a small bend in the trail. I do not believe the snake was rattling at me as I was far beyond its ability to sense/feel/see/hear me. I continued down the trail very slowly and looking very closely for the source of the rattling, which did not stop or slow, just a steady constant rattling. I was getting closer to its source, the rattling was getting louder, and I was searching the sparse vegetation along the edges of the trail carefully and trying to zero in on the sound. At some point I knew I was very, very close but the sound was very difficult to zero in on so I stopped and knelt down on the trail and sat very still, scanning everywhere around me for the source of the rattling. I was in this position for one or two minutes when suddenly about 6-8 feet in front of me the snake dropped from a branch above the trail (7 or 8 feet up). When it hit the ground it continued it's rapid and loud rattling and positioned itself such that it was facing me. It was approximately 3.5' Timber Rattler. About fifteen feet away there was an outcropping of legde and boulders beside the trail. I sat and watched it watch me for perhaps five or ten minutes, the whole time it rattled at me nonstop. I decided to go tell the others, who were eating lunch, all of whom assured me I was mistaken. They accompanied me back to the spot and it was still there, still rattling though intermittantly now, we captured some images and continued on our way.

Anyone ever heard of a rattlesnake up a tree? or one so disturbed for so long for no apparent reason?

I've been to many places and seen many curious things but this one has always stuck with me as a particulary intriguing unanswered question.