Western Diamond-backed Rattlesnake adult, Round Rock, Texas (March 28, 2007)

 (Crotalus atrox) Highly venomous, Easily provoked, Temperamental, Capable of striking at objects within half the length of its body.  BE EXTREMELY CAUTIOUS, DO NOT APPROACH THIS SNAKE; DECAPITATED SPECIMENS REMAIN CAPABLE OF INFLICTING DEADLY BITES.

Photos courtesy of Eliot D.

The markings on the back of this species show much variation from one specimen to the next. The markings may be muted, or (as in this specimen) sharply delineated.  This particular one is unusually well marked, with brightly outlined spinal diamonds and lateral blotches on the its sides.  From a distance, the most easily recognized feature of the species is clearly obvious--the raised black-and-white-ringed tail with rattles at its terminus.  The tail appears to be blunt, without rattles, a not-too-uncommon find with older rattlesnakes which have fought many a fight and withdrawn from some after losing a portion of their tails.  However, the photographer reported hearing the rattles, so one or two rattle segments may have been intact.

This snake had been coiled on the side of the road, probably soaking up some of the heat from the asphalt, and was apparently run over by the photographer's vehicle. 

According to the photographer, this snake was about four feet long.  Later the next morning I drove to the spot where the snake was photographed, found its cadaver (its head had been smashed and its rattles--assuming any were present--removed, but it was otherwise intact) and can state with certainty that it is clearly a large specimen.  The cadaver is now preserved in alcohol and additional photos will be added here soon.  A length of four feet is about the largest that this species gets these days, though in the past it was not unusual to find (at least in Starr and Hidalgo counties in the lower Rio Grande Valley) specimens as much as six feet long. 

Note the definitive lateral markings of the head, which are also easily observed from a distance.  Two parallel, diagonal white stripes border a central dark stripe that encloses the eye.

* TERMITE ENCOUNTERS  *  SNAKE ENCOUNTERS * SNAKE BITE FIRST AID * SNAKE EXCLUSION * SPIDER ENCOUNTERS FOR 2008 *  SPIDER ENCOUNTERS FOR 2007 * SPIDER BITE FIRST AID * SPIDER EXTERMINATION * PUSS CATERPILLAR ENCOUNTERS * PUSS CATERPILLAR FIRST AID * PUSS CATERPILLAR EXTERMINATION *  Assembled & Edited by Jerry Cates. Questions? Corrections? Comments? BUG ME RIGHT NOW! ---- Ph: 512-331-1111 ---- E-Mail ---- Privacy ----BugsInTheNews * --0a0s--