July 1, 2022

I am an Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake

I'm a venomous pit viper that some people dread

I have a rattle on the end of my tail that gets

A new segment each time that I shed.

(Note: Click to enlarge the photos - the scales are quite amazing. In the close up of the rattle, you can count 11 segments, so because they shed their skin 3-4 times per year, this snake is about 3 years old.)

Location: St. Sebastian River Preserve State Park, Fellsmere

Sources: https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Crotalus_adamanteus/

Photo and text © 2022 Dee Fairbanks Simpson