Crotalus atrox
Baird & Girard, 1853
Val Verde Co. Texas. May 19, 1999.
Whatever else may fail you, a night’s road cruising in the desert southwest will more than likely turn up at least one atrox. They can be common, and in the case of the rattler pictured here, quite beautiful. Like most other venomous snakes in North America, they strive mightily to escape, rather than stand their ground. This west Texas specimen was induced to coil and remain still by surrounding it with four humans. After taking photos, the serpent was allowed to crawl back into the chaparral, and in seconds was gone from view.
My Flickr album for this species is here.
HerpMapper records for this species are here.
