Searching for snakes

The Pine Barrens in New Jersey are a hidden gem for reptile enthusiasts. It’s teeming with fascinating creatures like snakes, turtles, and lizards. Among them, the rattlesnake stands out with its unique rattle and striking appearance. Dave Schneider and Dave Burkett, both passionate about reptiles, embarked on an adventure, completely unaware of the remarkable discoveries that awaited them.

The rattlesnake’s nest

In 2019, Dave Schneider, a top expert in North New Jersey’s Herpetological Associates, joined forces with fellow scientist Dave Burkett to explore the Pine Barrens. As they trekked through the thick forest, their keen instincts and years of experience guided them. To their amazement, they found a huge rattlesnake nest cleverly hidden in the lush greenery, showing how smart nature can be.

Caring mother

Schneider, who’s really good at explaining things, described the area like a paradise for female snakes. He said it’s the perfect spot for them to soak up the sun, keeping their babies warm and healthy. Burkett added that by late summer, around the end of August, the snakes have their babies. What’s super cool is seeing the little snakes sticking close to their mom, staying warm, and staying safe from dangers.

Young snakes

The dedicated team had heard about a rattlesnake that recently had babies in the Pine Barrens area. So, when they found a bunch of young snakes, it didn’t completely surprise them. They kind of expected it to happen. Around the nest, they saw something amazing – baby rattlesnakes, tiny and curious, trying to figure out their new world.

A blatant anomaly

As Schneider was busy taking pictures of the cute baby snakes, totally absorbed and excited, Burkett noticed something incredibly unusual on one of them. Among all the baby rattlesnakes, there was one little snake that stood out. It had such a strange feature that even though both Schneider and Burkett had seen lots of things, but never anything like this in all their years of work.

“It’s extremely rare”

Dave Schneider couldn’t contain his excitement when he shared the astonishing find with NBC News. He described it as a fairy tale moment. Despite knowing nature’s quirks, seeing this extraordinary snake, with an unusual extra body part, left them in awe.