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This one is from today, was pretty stoked to see it, after being pretty spooked to see it. Seen on the Petrified Forest Loop trail at Teddy Roosevelt NP. Was watching a bird that had taken iff and the next thing I knew it was giving me the heads up.
Another shot of the Prairie Rattlesnake still raised up but calming down.
Got a little to the side of the Rattlesnake as it calmed even more but remained partially raised up.
Another shot of the Prarie Rattlesnake moving along the trail. shortly thereafter it went to setup just off the trail and I moved along well off trail on the other side.
Couple videos on the Bluesky post of it slithering away along the trail.
Jealous! I've never seen anything but cotton mouths around here. They always run away before I have presence of mind and opportunity to snap a pic. Same with the gators. :(
I used to work at a catfish hatchery in NC back in the day. After emptying a pond for stocking we’d have a pile of bluegill/sunfish that had made it in and we would toss them in the creek leading out of the hatchhouse. The cottonmouths and banded watersnakes which thrived there would wait for the free meal. Cool and creepy.