Talk:Crotalus scutulatus

Any help would be appreciated

I'm sure I didn't get the layout quite right but I did manage to figure out the pink box. Copy and paste is a good thing. :-) Feel free to correct my boo-boos. I did my best.Mary Ash 05:17, 5 February 2011 (UTC)

Remarks on sources

Sources should be chosen and selected according their relevance, and not be given a simple link, but by providing their "bibliographic data".

Reference No.1 only cites the official "Red List". Thus the official "Red List" is the correct source.

Reference No.2 is only a student paper. Reference No.3 is from a Community College. Both are, in my view, not suitable as a reference.

Reference No.4 is the abstract of a scientific talk. It should be cited accordingly (Author, title, date, where)

References No. 5 and 6 for a sentence quoted from No. 5 is not really useful -- choose the better one (while both are probably not the best possible). And: Such simple information should not be given as quote but integrated into the narrative.

References Nos. 7 and 8 point to the same article that should be cited with Author, Title, Date, Place of publication. (perhaps better in the biography)

Why did you copy "See also" items from WP? (We do not have such lists, you know.)

--Peter Schmitt 00:12, 6 February 2011 (UTC)

I copied and pasted an article from the timber rattlesnake found at CZ. As to the rest of the stuff, I will check the sources but I do know one was a student paper, referenced, from SFSU and other was written by a PhD who studied reptiles. Also, I used the wiki reference tool maker to as suggested by the folks at CZ to write the references. Feel free to correct them as needed, as this is a wiki and a collaborative effort. Mary Ash 01:59, 6 February 2011 (UTC)

I tried to move the sources around tonight and futzed up the page. Please re-order the sources, if possible, as I tried without much success. I also added a couple "university level" or accepted authorities (Arizona Fish and Game or the BLM for example) to document the article. I'm done for now as I am tired. Mary Ash 04:51, 6 February 2011 (UTC)

Sorry, Mary, bad luck: The CZ article Crotalus horridus on the timber rattlesnake (obviouly) is an old WP import that does not provide a good example.

The wiki reference tool is convenient to create the correct syntax for a reference. It does not (and cannot) insert the information needed (Author, Title, etc., depending on the refernce). To do that is up to the user who uses the tool!

--Peter Schmitt 11:39, 6 February 2011 (UTC)

{unindent}Well I tried to get it right. I searched CZ and found a similar article and follow its layout. You have to give me half credit for tyring :-) BTW I was not thrilled with the layout as it's a lot of work but I tried.Mary Ash 16:59, 6 February 2011 (UTC)

A remark on style

Single sentence sections should be avoided, in particular, if they obviously belong to the same topic:

• Range + Habitat + Hibernation + Reproductive cycle
• Venom + Snakebite symptoms + Treatment

If you talk about (venom) type A and venom type B this needs explanation. --Peter Schmitt 00:17, 6 February 2011 (UTC)

Well done

Just like to say that we have a lot of short articles on snakes that were written by Jaap Winius at the beginning of the project - he wrote most of the Wikipedia articles and cross-posted. However they haven't been added to since then, though some have been modified stylistically. Well done Mary for importing a photo. You've also followed Jaap's format meticulously - congratulations for checking carefully the style of similar articles on Citizendium. I agree with Peter above (and I'm sure you do too), that the standard format (i.e. of many short sections) should be changeso don't be afraid.Gareth Leng 12:09, 6 February 2011 (UTC)

Thanks so much for the encouragement. Last night I went sleep thinking "that's it!" as it was a very tiring day at CZ. This is not a job but a hobby for me. I will try to work on this when I am better rested. For now I need to rest and recharge the batteries. Hopefully, I will get my doll finished this week. Most of the painting is done but I have to put her together.Mary Ash 16:40, 6 February 2011 (UTC)

Behavior and history

This article was written to honor Mike Robertson aka the Snake Man. While I could find no references to Mr. Robertson, as his work was done in the mid-70s, but without his efforts the anti venom for the Mojave Green (and that's what they are called here) would probably been delayed. Mr. Robertson was a science teacher at our local middle school but he also helped catch these snakes so their venom could be milked. Through his efforts the anti-venom was developed. I could not imagine catching these snakes as they are some of the most deadly, if not the most deadly, in the United States. If bitten, victims suffer rapid respiratory arrest and cardiac failure. There are differences in the venom carried by the specific Mojave Green, some may only carry Type A, some Type B, and others a combination of both. You never know though which snake has what. It pays to give wide berth to the Mojave Green. I have seen the Mojave Green in the wild on three occasions. Two of the Mojave Green snakes were as described. They were greenish in cast, with the markings listed, and aggressive. In one instance I drove past the Mojave green snake, did not run over it with my vehicle, but looked back to see the snake arching to strike my tires. This was mid day, in the mountains during summer, and on a dusty road. I am thankful I was in the car and not hiking with my family. The second time I saw a Mojave green it was sunning itself on a dusty country road. Again, I drove past. This time the snake did not attempt to strike at my tires. The third "Mojave green" I saw was not green. It was pink. Around here the pink snakes are called Coso Pinks. They are typically found in the Coso Mountains. The one I saw was in the desert though and it was a pinkish tan with the markings of the Mojave Green. I have not found any online references to the Coso Pink but take my word for it they exist. You could ask Mr. Robertson, but I think he's now dead, or any other other local snake expert. The Coso Pink aka Mojave Green is the same snake with different colors.Mary Ash 16:54, 6 February 2011 (UTC)