Diamondback

Potrillo Mountains

Becca and I had just ascended to the high foothills this morning when we had to step aside to let a young woman jogger run past us.  About twenty seconds later I realized she was calling back to us.  "There's a snake up here on the left side of the trail," she said.  After I thanked her she resumed her run.  I made Becca walk behind me as I crept cautiously forward wondering what type of snake it was and suspecting it would be a rattler.  After a period of rainy, cooler weather like we've just had rattlesnakes often come out and sunbathe.  Sure enough, when we rounded a bend there it was:  a Western Diamondback about 4 feet long.  Probably perturbed by the young woman's passing it began to coil back on itself, all the while examining Becca and me.  Naturally I had to photograph it, making certain that Becca was staying put.  Then we gave the snake a wide berth, bushwhacking around dense desert foilage to get on the far side of the critter.  Of course I had to photograph it from there, too, which didn't sit all that well with the snake.  I explained to it aloud that I had no intention of harming it, but, from the look in its eyes, I wasn't certain it felt that same way toward me.

Pencil Cholla

Closeup of Pencil Cholla stems

Devil's Head

Not far from here we encountered the rattlesnake

Western Diamondback Rattlesnake (approx. 4 feet long)

Black-and-white striped tail and rattle

Looking right at us

Heat-seeking tongue

You can see why their camouflage presents a danger

Snake speak with forked tongue

Hedgehog Cactus

A look across a deep gully

In the desert west of Tortugas

Bishop Cap

Leafless Ocotillos looking like whisk brooms

Intrepid desert explorer

A plant called--not surprisingly--Allthorn