Snake!

We were hiking in Usery Park last week with Ross's sister Lee who was in town for a visit. Karen spotted a rattlesnake crossing the trail in front of us! This was the first rattlesnake we've ever seen here in Arizona. A couple of days later we were hiking in the McDowell Sonoran Preserve. Lee had turned back early so we were alone on the trail. Ross was behind Karen when he spotted a rattlesnake crossing the trail only about 20' ahead of us! He shouted "stop, stop, stop" and Karen stopped in time. The snake was moving fairly slowly most likely because it had just "woken up" from hibernating. The snake must not have felt threatened because it never shook it's rattle. Ross got a few pictures of it with a spare point and shoot camera he carries in his pack. Unfortunately he didn't have his DSLR camera with him. He didn't get any closer than about 10' from the snake. This snake, a western diamondback rattlesnake, was about 3' long.

	The snake crossing the trail.
	Closeup of the snake with it's head raised from about 10' away. That was more than close enough!