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Mystery Rattlesnake
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by Cro on June 24, 2005
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A few days ago, KevinAZ posted a couple of blurry photos of a rattlesnake from Arizona, in the Snakes for Identification Section, and wanted to know what it was. To me it looks like a Western Diamondback Rattlesnake, Crotalus atrox. I was just wondering what others here think after seeing the photos. Best Regards JohnZ
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RE: Mystery Rattlesnake
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by ALA_herp31 on June 25, 2005
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I think it to be a (Crotalus scutullatus) Mojave Rattler. It is hard to tell tho, with the pic being so blurry. Could also be a (Crotalus atrox) Western Diamondback Rattler. Wish we could get a better pic of the Snake, would make things easer huuuu? Oohhhh well, maybe someone will get lucky and get a proper ID on the Snake.........Be safe ya’ll, Happy Herping Wally
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RE: Mystery Rattlesnake
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by Phobos on June 25, 2005
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Nope..it's a Crotalus viridis viridis
Now don't say they are not in AZ cus you would be wrong.
There is NO Sonoma AZ
Here's a better picture...
http://elib.cs.berkeley.edu/cgi/img_query?query_src=&enlarge=0000+0000+0105+0654
Al
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RE: Mystery Rattlesnake
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by Cro on June 25, 2005
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Al: You are right that there is no Sonoma Arizona, which means that Kevin was probably trying to spell Sonoita or Sedona. (Or maybee he was just lost and did not know where he was. If you read this Kevin, maybee you can let us know where you were, and maybee you can post a better photo.)
Both Sonoita and Sedona are 150 to 200 miles from the range of the Prairie Rattlesnake in Arizona, which is only on the far Eastern side of the state along the New Mexico border. The link Al submitted is a great photo of a Prairie, but it looks only superficially like the photo that Kevin submitted. So I would have to say that the snake is not a Prairie Rattlesnake.
That would leave the Western Diamondback Rattlesnake and the Mojave Rattlesnake as the other two possible choices. Well, the Mojave Rattlesnake normally has Black Tail Rings that are Much Narrower than the White Rings. We do not see this in Kevins photo.
The Western Diamondback Rattlesnake has a tail that is Ringed with Black and White or Light Grey. But we can only see the start of this `coon tail` because the photo is chopped off. Still, you can see enough of the tail to see the starting of the rings.
Also, this snakes shows Diamonds, where as the Prairie and Mojave Rattlesnakes both have more of `saddles` than diamonds.
I think that I can see enough detail to continue to call the snake a Western Diamondback Rattlesnake ( Crotalus atrox ).
These snakes are highly variable in coloration. I have caught seven or eight hundred Westerns, two or three hundred Mojaves, and about thirty five Prairies over the years, so I do have some field experience with them. The photo is very blurry, so I could be wrong, but for now, I still think the snake is a WDB. Best Regards JohnZ
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RE: Mystery Rattlesnake
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by Phobos on June 26, 2005
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Hi John:
I still think it could be a Viridus if it was seen in Sedona. That is in the range that they are incountered in AZ or very damn close. If it's Sonoita most likely a WDB. The terrain looks like it could be Sedona for Sonoita is serious Desert landscape.
Anyway, we need better information to make a determination.
Al
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