Rattlesnake Republic is a television series on Animal Planet that follows groups of rattlesnake hunters plying their trade across Texas. The program began its second season in November 2012.
This show provides examples of:
- Berserk Button: Mentioning Jackie Bibby within earshot of Riley Sawyers is generally not a good idea.
- Cliffhanger: The season 2 finale ends with this, with Jackie Bibby taking a severe rattlesnake bite to the leg, possibly resulting in an amputation.
- Cool Car:
- Jackie Bibby's Cadillac hearse, complete with a rattlesnake head as a hood ornament.
- The "Viper" off-road vehicle used by Danny & Jase in one episode.
- Cool Shades: Many of the snake hunters don these on occasion.
- Distracted by the Sexy: Riley Sawyers accused his assistant Daltin Fritz of this in one episode when Riley caught him chatting with a female employee at a distillery they were conducting a nuisance call at.
- Do Not Try This at Home: Each episode starts with this, warning viewers against attempting to handle live rattlesnakes themselves.
- Everything Is Big in Texas: The show takes place all across the state of Texas, and plays up many stereotypes regarding the Lone Star State, such as most of the hunters having a Texan drawl to their voices, as well as wearing Stetsons and cowboy boots & chaps (the latter being Justified in that they provide a degree of protection against snakebites).
- Everything Trying to Kill You: Not only do the hunters have to worry about being bitten by venomous snakes, but they also have to worry about suffering heat stroke from 100-plus degree temperatures as well as risking injury on hazardous terrain miles from medical assistance. It's also mentioned in one episode that straying onto someone else's property uninvited could get a luckless hunter shot by ranchers defending their land.
- Gorn: A photo showing a human hand and forearm mutilated by rattlesnake venom, with the muscles exposed, is often shown at least once an episode to remind the viewers of just how dangerous the hunters' quarry can be.
- Hell Is That Noise: The signature sound of a rattlesnake will make the hunters literally stop in their tracks and try to figure out where the sound's coming from.
- Let Me at Him!: Happens with Jackie Bibby's crew in one episode when hunter-turned-conservationist Barry Allen intends to release the few rattlers the team has managed to scrounge up.
- Oh, Crap!: The reaction of the hunters when they find themselves within strike range of a rattlesnake they didn't see until it was nearly too late.
- Reptiles Are Abhorrent: Played with; the bite of the titular snakes can cause horrible injuries and even death, but they still play an important role by keeping small animal populations in check.
- Screw This, I'm Outta Here: In one episode, an argument between Riley Sawyers and his assistant Daltin escalates to the point where Daltin literally throws down his gear and walks off, leaving Riley on his own. The two later worked things out however.
- Happens again in the season 2 finale when Daltin gets fed up with listening to Riley ranting about Jackie Bibby after Jackie stole the rights to a prized hunting ground out from under Riley.
- Stock Sound Effects: A sharp hiss is often added whenever a snake is shown striking.
- Tears of Fear: Jackie Bibby sheds a few when he learns he may lose a leg to a rattlesnake bite.
- There Is No Kill Like Overkill: In one episode, Riley tracks a rattlesnake under a shed, but the hole it's gone in is far too small to follow. How does he get at the snake? He rents a crane and picks up the whole shed in order to crawl in and get it!
