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Eastern diamondback rattlesnake

Crotalus adamanteus

Photo by mauna Kunzah
Published on Project Noah
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25.7568, -80.6959

Field Notes

Description:

On an overcast and humid day, I observed a large snake (around 5 feet long) slithering across the bleached asphalt of a highway. It appeared to avoid the hot road surface by moving toward the greenery.

Habitat:

It was spotted on the Tamiami Trail, which traverses the Everglades and is a swampy and tropical environment.

Notes:

This was the first time I'd seen a venomous snake in the wild. There were multiple road signs marked "wildlife X-ing," and for good reason! Although I could not approach the rattler in the middle of traffic, this was a rewarding and unexpected encounter, as there's nothing like the majesty of a formidable snake. Its maximum strike radius would be an estimated 2.5 feet.

Reference Links:

Eastern diamondback rattlesnake - Wikipedia, Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake | National Geographic

Species ID Suggestions

Comments (7)
Neil Ross
That's a beautiful 'first encounter' with a wild snake, Mauna. What an awesome experience, and such a beautiful animal too. Great notes, and messages between yourself an Tukup.
Tukup
For 25 years we had an exhibit/rescue in our house with 30-50 snakes. Instead of killing the snakes, the Indians would bring them to me. I could explain, teach, etc, keep one of each for educational purposes and release them when I got another or ran out of food. Of over 5,200 snake I handled, 1200 were Vipers/Lanceheads. I got very good at estimating their striking reach 😊 Fascinating creatures for sure. Your rattlesnakes remind me of some of them.
mauna Kunzah
Hahah, I didn't know that they could either. Thanks for the chuckle, Tukup! A lancehead? That must've been exciting.
Tukup
Nice Mauna. I didn't know snakes could read the Wildlife X-ing signs. Smarter than I thought 😊 Excellent spotting. Too bad it was in traffic so you couldn't get closer. Yes, most snakes can only strike half their body length. Our lanceheads are the only ones I know that strike so hard they can exceed that by a fair bit. Thanks for sharing another snake foto. I figure any day I find a snake is a good day 😊

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PublishedMay 6, 2019

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