A Rattlesnake Swam The Length Of A Backyard Pool On Hilton Head Island, And It Was Filmed
A Rattlesnake Swam The Length Of A Backyard Pool On Hilton Head Island, And It Was Filmed© (©)
Jill McIlvaine was filming in her backyard in Palmetto Dunes, on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, when a large eastern diamondback rattlesnake dropped into her pool and swam the length of it, headfirst and unhurried, before climbing out and heading toward the woods. Her daughter, Ellen McIlvaine, later shared the footage, and South Carolina wildlife officials confirmed the species after reviewing it.
What The Video Shows
The snake crosses the pool in a smooth, steady line, its head held above the surface while the rest of its heavy body trails behind in an S-curve, the same motion it uses on land. Once it reaches the far edge, it climbs straight out and moves across the patio and into the trees, seemingly unbothered by the detour through chlorinated water.
Jay Cantrell, assistant chief of wildlife for the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, reviewed the clip and called the snake “absolutely” an eastern diamondback, adding that it looked like “a very healthy one,” The Cool Down reported.
A Strong Swimmer By Design
Eastern diamondbacks are the largest venomous snake in North America, with heavy-bodied adults regularly growing past six feet. They are usually associated with dry, sandy habitat, coastal dunes, Sandhills and open pine forests, where they wait coiled near animal burrows for prey such as rabbits and rice rats, according to the South Carolina Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation. That dry-land reputation can make a sighting in water feel surprising, but rattlesnakes are capable swimmers that will readily cross ponds, creeks and, apparently, backyard pools when the woods on the other side offer a shorter route.
South Carolina DNR state herpetologist Andrew Grosse said the species is still common across the Lowcountry, though its overall range has shrunk as development eats into the longleaf pine habitat it depends on. He also noted that snake fungal disease remains a serious, often lethal, threat to rattlesnake populations in the region. Sightings like this one tend to spike in August and September, during the species’ breeding season, which can put more snakes on the move through yards and neighborhoods near the coast.
What To Do If It Happens To You
Wildlife officials are consistent on this point: leave the snake alone and keep your distance. Eastern diamondbacks don’t always rattle before striking, so the absence of that warning sound is not a sign of safety. If one ends up in a pool or yard, the safest move is to clear people and pets from the area, let the snake make its own way out, and avoid trying to herd, trap or kill it.
Its venom destroys red blood cells and damages surrounding tissue, and a bite from an adult can be medically serious or fatal without prompt treatment. Anyone bitten should seek emergency care immediately rather than waiting to see how symptoms develop. For a snake that simply swims through and leaves, as this one did, the encounter is best treated as a reminder to watch where you step this time of year, not a reason to go looking for it in the woods afterward.
Source: Nature