I crossed paths with this western diamondback rattlesnake while hiking through a sandy desert wash just south of Tucson, Arizona. I hacked a vivitar monopod into a 5 1/2 foot critter-cam with a small action camera attached at the end. I remotely control and monitor the action cam on my phone. The snake never struck out at the camera even though it was only inches from it. These rattlers can jump half their length so I like to quadruple that distance when observing them. Best tip for avoiding a snake bite is never put your hands or feet anywhere that you haven’t eyeballed first….they will bite you if touched or if you get within striking distance, otherwise they want nothing to do with us humans. They are rattling to warn us away.

Rattlesnake encounter in arizona desert wash.

| Desert Gardens |
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