Rattler!

Out on the trail early this morning, Research Associate Becca and I were trudging along sweating in the high humidity, slapping and snapping at bugs that were bugging us when we happened upon a snake's track in the damp desert sand. Stopping to see if the snake was near, I got a surprise to find this rattler parked only a few feet away. It had the tail markings of a Diamondback, a very venomous viper. We moved away to a safe distance so that I could get my camera to take a photo.

The snake became slightly aggitated at our presence and began a slow coil, and gave a half-hearted shake or two of its rattle to remind us of its potential bad temperament. We showed it great respect, thanked it for the photo op, and moved along on our separate ways.