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Photo#814593
Young Mohave Rattlesnake

Young Mohave Rattlesnake
Canoa Ranch Rest Area, I-19, Northbound, Pima County, Arizona, USA
July 27, 2013
This young rattlesnake was found around the vending machines at the Canoa Rest Area.

Loren and Babs Padelford
Bellevue, NE

Whoa!
We won't butt in line in fronta this guy for a Coke!

Great Find & Foto Loren!

We found one on the road which also had this black/white pattern on the tail just before the rattle. Wish I knew my snakes better, but hope someone here can ID it.

GREAT to see y'all again this year.

Jon & Nancy

 
Young Rattlesnake
Jon,

This might be a Mohave Rattlesnake. Can anyone confirm?

Babs & Loren

 
Mohave
The light borders around the dorsal blotches are characteristic. The other confirming character are large scales between the supra ocular scales, might not be wise to get that close to the business end of a the most toxic snake in NA.

 
Mohave Rattlesnake
Kerry,

Thanks for the ID. We didn't know we were photographing the most toxic snake in NA.

Loren and Babs Padelford
Bellevue, NE

 
Some notes...
to enhance future conversations of what "We did this summer."
The young ones (born alive, no eggs) have a tendency to release all the venom when biting. Older ones have more control, sometimes giving what is know as a "dry bite" where no venom is delivered. Mojave's have a significant neurotoxic component as well as the hemotoxins found in the other NA pit-vipers.
For comparison (rough numbers):
43 times more toxic than the Copperhead found in the east.
15 times more toxic than the Western Diamondback.
8 times more toxic than the Eastern Diamondback.
2 times more toxic than the Asian Cobra.
On the good side the Mojave's are:
Only 1/6 as toxic as the Australian Tiger Snake.
Only 1/87 as toxic as the Australian Inland Taipan.
So, Arizona safe, Australia not so much.
The adage of what is the most dangerous snake still applies.
The one that you die after it bites you is the most dangerous!

 
Mohave Rattlesnake
Kerry,

Thanks for all the fascinating info! We don't have any venomous snakes in our area, so it was exciting to see rattlesnakes in southeast AZ.

Loren and Babs Padelford

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