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Friday, August 26, 2022

Getting Rattled

First 4:  young Western Diamondback (about 3' long)
The first images in this blog post are of the young Western Diamondback Rattlesnake that rattled us as we descended the LDR-A arroyo.  Willow, Frio and I were a few feet from the serpent when I noticed it.  I warned Dr. K that it was there, and she made a detour around it.

The rattler never rattled, and after I parked the Heelers with Dr. K I went back to photograph the snake.  It noticed me, but never got agitated enough to rattle.

We spent the rest of the hike in a heightened sense of alertness because of the encounter, but we also very much appreciated the green desert with its multitude of wildlife and wildflowers.




This & next 2:  Golden Crownbeard (Verbesina encelioides)



Frio and Willow

Clouds over the Organs

This & next 2:  Fringed Amaranth (Amaranthus fimbriatus)



This & next 2:  Chinchweed



Desert Spiny Lizard

Last 2:  green desert


 

1 comment:

Dr. K said...

Beautiful photos of the Fringed Amaranth, especially the last one.

Snakes always give me the creeps.

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