Photos / Sounds
What
Northern Black-tailed Rattlesnake (Crotalus molossus ssp. molossus)Observer
dickshattuckDescription
A first for me!
Less than ten minutes after I had seen the Gila monster, I encountered this rattlesnake. It was my first of the year, and I'm pretty sure it's the first time I've ever seen both critters on the same hike.
This was one healthy-looking (and large) snake. Quite docile, too. Another hiker and I watched him for several minutes (we tried to stay together so he wouldn't feel hemmed in) and he never rattled or coiled. We agreed that he perhaps was out for his first hunt of the season. He eventually slithered into some nearby vegetation, and we resumed our hikes.
As was the Gila monster, the black-tailed rattlesnake was seen on the Wildhorse Trail in Saguaro National Park. Right on the trail!
