barito bajada
Speckled rattlesnakeReptiles

Speckled rattlesnake

Crotalus pyrrhus

Pale and peppered, color-matched to local rock so well it basically disappears. Lives on rocky slopes — watch hands and feet when you're scrambling on stone, because this is the one you won't spot first. Admire from exactly as far away as you noticed it.

Key

Venomous — treat as a serious bite, get help
Hard no — run, or just don't
Seldom — keep an eye out
Barito Bajada — field notes from the desert