Year of the Snake - No. 41 Juvenile Western Diamondback

Crotalus atrox

On September 19, I went out to do my usual rock-flipping patrol -- we have a lot of rocks around the house and I go out to turn them regularly. I hadn't found any snakes under those rocks but I usually find a scorpion or two.

I turned over a rock and saw a tarantula in a cocoon. I knelt down to pick it up. I looked to my left and saw--just 5 inches from knee--this pretty, little diamondback. It was an example that snakes aren't all out to get you, because I was within easy striking range.

We kept checking on him all day. Later, we decided to capture him to show to our homeschool co-op. We kept him for a few days then released him further from the house.

I hope that showing him to the group helped lessen their fears about snakes.

The snake was about 12 inches long. He was a neonate, and could not even rattle yet.