Juvenile Southern Pacific Rattler found near Suicide Rock above Idyllwild CA.
Myself and a few friends of mine were hiking in Kennedy Grove when we stumbled across a rattlesnake. I was almost bitten by it, but luckily jumped back in time. I didn't get a picture of the snake in the excitement.
Crotalus is a genus of venomous pit vipers found only in the Americas from southern Canada to northern Argentina. The name is derived from the Greek word krotalon, which means "rattle" or "castanet", and refers to the rattle on the end of the tail which makes this group (genera Crotalus and Sistrurus) so distinctive. 29 species are currently recognized.
