Eastern Diamond-backed Rattlesnake vs. Pygmy Rattlesnake
A young Eastern Diamond-backed is not much longer than an adult Pygmy Rattlesnake, and the two share the same pine flatwoods. A: Many small scales; only the scales over the eyes are large in the Eastern Diamond-backed Rattlesnake; nine big plates in the Pygmy Rattlesnake. B: Bold dark diamonds with cream borders, even in the young in the Eastern Diamond-backed Rattlesnake; small round dark blotches, often split by a rust-red stripe in the Pygmy Rattlesnake. C: A big rattle (a single button at birth) on a banded tail in the Eastern Diamond-backed Rattlesnake; a tiny rattle that buzzes like an insect in the Pygmy Rattlesnake. Adult Eastern Diamond-backs are 3 to 6 ft long, Pygmy Rattlesnakes under 2 ft. Both are venomous.
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