Research Associate Becca and I have gone most of the summer without seeing many rattlesnakes, but today was a two-snake day. The first, a small Western Diamondback, Becca stepped right over without seeing. I saw it at the last moment and was able to give it a little wider berth. When I stopped to photograph it, the young'un was unperturbed, never once rattling. I have heard that juvenile rattlers are the most dangerous because they have yet to learn how to judiciously budget the amount of venom they expend when striking. By the way, how's that for a camouflage outfit?
Further along the trail we encountered this adult rattler, a truly gorgeous specimen. It was about 3 1/2 feet long and quite stout in the middle. It may have just eaten something. It was slightly disturbed by our presence, but not overly so. It rattled half-heartedly as it made a fairly rapid retreat into the underbrush. I had to remind Becca that Ms. or Mr. Rattler was a creature we had to treat with great respect.
The last two photos are of barrel cactus flowers. Orangish-pink.
The last two photos are of barrel cactus flowers. Orangish-pink.
And yellow.
2 comments:
A real contrast here--the rattlers' strange beauty and the flowers' vivid beauty.
Rattlers scare me. I don't remember really seeing one when I lived in AZ.
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