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Western Diamondbacked Rattlesnake
Crotalus atrox
The Western Diamondbacked Rattlesnake (Crotalus atrox) is common across Texas, but sometimes it can be hard to find one. This is often not true in the mesquite grasslands of deep south Texas where the species grows fat and sassy on rats and rabbits. Although I worked in the reptile house of the Grant Park Zoo in Atlanta, Georgia during my senior year in high school in 1968, and I have had a great deal of exposure to rattlesnakes in my life, I still occasionally see a huge one in south Texas that literally takes my breath away. This particular animal at right was of a medium size, about four feet in length, and allowed Larry Ditto and me to get a number of nice images. This shot won 3rd place in the venomous snake division of the Valley Land Fund Wildlife Photo Contest for 2000. The photo was taken in February, 2000, with a Canon EOS 3 and EF 180mm F/3.5 Macro on a bean bag at ground level and with Fuji Velvia pushed one stop.
This rattlesnake was photographed with a Canon EF 70-200mm F/2.8 L zoom, in February, 2000, in Kenedy Co., Texas..
In 2002, Larry Ditto and I again entered the the same wildlife photo contest and we worked the same Kenedy Co. ranch as in 2000. The next two shots are from April, 2002. These were shot with a Canon EOS 1V and EF 70-200 F/2.8 L IS lens on Fuji Velvia. This particular animal was somewhat larger than the one in the earlier images and was approximately five feet in length.
The next eleven shots were taken during April and May, 2006, in Hidalgo Co., Texas with a Canon EOS 1D Mark II and several different lenses. A caption will be with most images. This shot illustrates how well camouflaged a large diamondback can be in dry grass. This particular snake was quite large, at least five feet in length.
Another large Western Diamondback at the edge of a water hole.
The next four shots show a pair of Western Diamondbacks in copulation.
The next five images show close up detail of a four foot long Western Diamondback.
Western Diamondback Rattlesnake
Crotalus atrox
Ranch Road 2810,
South of Marfa,
Presidio Co., Texas
22 May 2015
Western Diamondback Rattlesnake
Crotalus atrox
Ranch Road 2810,
South of Marfa,
Presidio Co., Texas
22 May 2015
Western Diamondback Rattlesnake
Crotalus atrox
Murphy Ranch,
Travis Co., Texas
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Western Diamondback Rattlesnake
Crotalus atrox
Murphy Ranch,
Travis Co., Texas
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Western Diamondback Rattlesnake
Crotalus atrox
Murphy Ranch,
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Western Diamondback Rattlesnake
Crotalus atrox
Big Bend Ranch State Park,
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Western Diamondback Rattlesnake
Crotalus atrox
Big Bend Ranch State Park,
Presidio Co., Texas
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