Found Her Yesterday

[EasternSierra]

I stumbled upon this pretty girl yesterday evening at around 6pm. It was bright, sunny, and about 93*F...which made it REALLY surprising. These rattlers are normally nocturnal and rarely come out in the middle of the day unless it is very cool and cloudy. Oh well...never look a gift horse in the mouth...


Check out that tail going 100 mph!


Panamint Rattlesnake--Crotalus stephensi--Inyo County California

Thanks for looking!

[Hezakia]

You sir........are brave. Great details on both images, hope you were using a 300mm+ lense lol!

[EasternSierra]

Originally Posted by Hezakia

You sir........are brave. Great details on both images, hope you were using a 300mm+ lense lol!

Haha...150mm lens. I'm about 3' away from her for these pics. I find these pretty little snakes regularly starting in April through about October. Finding them is a passion and hobby of mine...

[PrimeTime]

Very cool pic's. That's a fat one, looks to be eating good. I was going to sugest getting down eye level with it, untill you said you're using a 150mm lens. Great shots and subject. Looking forward to seeing some more.

[EasternSierra]

Originally Posted by PrimeTime

Very cool pic's. That's a fat one, looks to be eating good. I was going to sugest getting down eye level with it, untill you said you're using a 150mm lens. Great shots and subject. Looking forward to seeing some more.

She was very chunky. I actually think she might be gravid. That's snake for "pregnant". Rattlers have live birth, so while the other snakes in the area are laying eggs, these girls are "cooking" themselves, to help their offspring develope. I believe that is why she was laying in a road when it was 93* and sunny...

I have a few where I am eye level. This girl, however, was way too dwefensive, and didn't stop moving. Getting eye level would have been very dangerous. I am comfortable enough with these animals that getting eye level from 3' away is not "scary", but sometimes, they justy get too "antsy" to do it safely...

Here's a nice, calm, Mojave Desert Sidewinder (Crotalus cerastes cerastes) from eye level...


The most dangerous aspect of this photo was laying on my bely in the middle of the road. As you can see...the snake is in defense mode...but very calm. Just watchful...

And a neonate Panamint from earlier this year at eye level--


Getting close doesn't bother me one bit...as long as it doesn't bother the snake. I have had rattlers that were just calm and cool, perfectly content to klet me snap a bunch of pics and be on there way. Then I have had some that strike like mad and try to kill me. No two rattlers are ever alike...

[Fred flyfisher]

I imagine they have very different personalities. I don't see too many around here. Used to see a lot more when I lived in the mountains. They're beautiful reptiles. The camoflage patterns are remarkable. Nice images you got.

[StellaG]

Whoa! great shots, you should draw combat pay for the one laying in the road LOL. I love snakes, even the poisonous ones...very interesting creatures.

Betty

[PrimeTime]

Wow, the sidewinder pic is awesome!!

[Chewys Dad]

Great Shots of a beautiful Diamond Back! Used to see these quite often when I lived in AZ and Calif. Not proud of it now, but when I was a young man we used to hunt them.
I've found that if you don't move too fast and don't surprise them. they are pretty docile.
Thanks for Sharing these
Michael.

[EasternSierra]

Originally Posted by Chewys Dad

Great Shots of a beautiful Diamond Back! Used to see these quite often when I lived in AZ and Calif. Not proud of it now, but when I was a young man we used to hunt them.
I've found that if you don't move too fast and don't surprise them. they are pretty docile.
Thanks for Sharing these
Michael.

Sorry...that's not a Diamondback. The Western Diamondback (Crotalus atrox), does not occur in my area of California. They are found much further south,in the same range as the Red Diamond(Crotalus ruber) and the Northern Mojave(Crotalus scutulatus scutulatus).

The first one pictured is a Panamint Rattlesnake (Crotalus stephensi), so named because the first ones were discovered in Panamint Valley, near the north rim of Death Valley National Park.

I only have 3 species of rattlesnake in the county I live in, and only 2 as far north as I am. Within the county, we have the Panmint(C.stephensi), Mojave Desert Sidewinder(C.cerastes cerastes)(pictured above), and the Northern Mojave, or Mojave Green (C.scutulatus scutulatus). I would have to drive at least an hour south to find a "scut", but there are Panamints and winders all over my neighborhood.

It would take a 3-4 hour drive south to reach atrox territory. I plan on diong that in the fall when the babies are born...