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Crotalus atrox... and a lizard

JNugent

JNugent

Addicted..
During my lunch breaks and such I usually head to the Franklin Mountains here in El Paso to do some field herping in the afternoons and came across this beautiful snake today. I would have liked to get some different poses of him but he was sunk down in this grass body bridging me and rattling to show off how tough he was. Unfortunately I was alone and without my tongs/hook so I left him where he was and just watched him and shot about 8 minutes of HD footage with my video cam until he meandered on his way. He was healthy, a good 4-5 feet and THICK.. it was the first rattler I've seen this year and quite an experience.

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Also spent some time with this guy, which I'm pretty sure is an eastern fence lizard (Sceloporus undulatus)

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Great pics! Atrox scare me, I know folks who mess with king cobras that say they have to be most careful with that species. Beautiful animal.
 
Your lizard is a greater earless lizard.
Are you sure that's a diamondback?
It looks like a prarie rattlesnake.

Tim
 
The lizard you are correct on. After more research I would agree it's an Cophosaurus texanus. I'm not as well versed on the lizard species out here as the snakes. The rattler however is definitely a WDB. You can't see it in the pics, but he was sporting the white/black striped tail common to the species. The diamond shaped pattern with white accents is also visible in the photos. The viridis I've encountered in this area lack the white/black tail and also show white markings running longitudinally along the head.
 
I am one of those weird people who think rattlers are one of the most beautiful snakes...too bad their venomous or I would own one in a heartbeat. Great pics by the way!
 
That is a gorgeous atrox! I so love these guys... they're very close to my heart. Congrats on getting that little earless to hold still. Looks like just a young little guy, and those can be difficult not to scare the beejesus out of lol!

When it comes to Crotalus, what you most want to look for is the head and the pattern. Obviously, atrox have that famous pattern so they really aren't that hard to identify. They also have very a unique head as well though for anyone who is questionable.

How far away were those atrox shots taken? Those are just fantastic pictures!
 
Nice pics!:) Can't wait for the real spring weather to show up and wake the snakes up around here!!!:)
 
Jynx said:
How far away were those atrox shots taken? Those are just fantastic pictures!
Click to expand...

These were taken from about 8 feet away I'd say. I ended up getting in much closer but that was with the video camera as he exposed more of his body and calmed down by the time I got it out. It was awesome, he stopped rattling except for a few ticks when I would reposition the camera, and just laid there seeming as curious about me as I was of him. Even managed to film him yawning and showing off the fangs. Rattlesnakes are for sure my favorite of all snakes and I especially love to see them in their natural habitat. Hopefully I'll find a bunch more this year.. pics will always follow. Now if only they had the crotalus durissus here.. or the crotalus scutulatus salvini.. that would be cool.
 
What a great opportunity! have you uploaded the video yet? I would absolutely love to see it.
 
Great pictures of the rattler! I love rattlesnakes. I think they are so pretty. Maybe I'm weird but oh well. :)

That is a pretty lizard too!
 
Gorgeous photos! I thought it looked like a Prairie rattler, too, but I wasn't there, and Crotalus ID is based SO much on tiny details...I really have to take your word for it... The eye "strikes" will be a HUGE tell between anything in the viridis complex and an atrox...I can't see them in your photos, so I'll trust your judgement. Warning, though...there are several different species that sport the "coon tail". WDB are just one of a few out west...

And to all you people that think you're weird for loving rattlers...join the club. I was walking around the desert the other day with a photographer friend of mine. He knows noting about snakes, and so as we were walking around, I heard something that sounded like a rattler buzz behind me, so I immediately turned and hurried over that way. He asked me what I was doing, so I said, "Thought I heard a rattler. Trying to find it." He says, "That is the first time in my life I have ever seen anyone walk towards a suspected rattler, instead of away." You guys aren't wierd...rattlers are fascinating and absolutely STUNNING animals. IMO, they are among the most beautiful snakes in North America. I'm right there with you guys in wanting one...only I am actually working on setting up a protocol and a "hot room" so that I CAN keep a few...
 
Nice pics! I haven't seen a rattler in a long time. (But I haven't been mountain biking in a long time, either!)
 
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