Eastern Black-tailed Rattlesnake vs. Western Massasauga

Both are rattlesnakes of the southeastern New Mexico plains and Texas (records share 12 one-degree squares). A: Broad dark crossbands with pale spots, on olive-grey in the Eastern Black-tailed Rattlesnake; close-set, rounded brown blotches on grey in the Western Massasauga. B: Many small scales on the crown in the Eastern Black-tailed Rattlesnake; nine big plates on top of the head in the Western Massasauga. C: Solid black in the Eastern Black-tailed Rattlesnake; grey with dark rings; a small rattle in the Western Massasauga. The Western Massasauga is small (to about 2 ft).

Photographs via iNaturalist under Creative Commons licences; the photographers are credited on the sheet.

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