A worldwide community photographing and learning about wildlife
Project Noah Nature School
Crotalus viridis (maybe C. V. nuntias)
This little snake was maybe 8-9 in long if it were straight, less than 2yrs old (it only had one rattle and another forming) (they say you can't actually age a rattler by it's number of rattles but who knows). It was out for a glide just before sunset:)
This snake is found in north eastern Arizona and in other states as well . This one was found at just above 5000 ft altitude in the high arid scrub desert of Arizona. The earth here is volcanic, rocky, dark colored. Vegetation is low to the ground and small.
I saw this cute little baby on a friend's property just east of Flagstaff, AZ while out for a walk. It was so young that although it shook it's little rattle, it made no sound because there was only one and a half rattles. TOO CUTE!!! But poisonous none the less. Baby rattlers do not yet know how to dose out their venom and they give their victim all they have. This snake is associated with the Hopi Native American peoples, possibly in their traditional snake dance.
Spotted on Oct 6, 2012
Submitted on Oct 18, 2012
1 Comment
Awesome spotting and no the telling the age or a rattle snake by number of rattles is incorrect rattlesnakes shed multiple times a year and each shed they gain a rattle even though they are born with one rattle called a button they may also lose rattles while eating hunting etc.