Ridge-nosed Rattlesnake vs. Desert Nightsnake

Both are small, grey to brown, blotched snakes with cat-like pupils in the southeastern mountains. A: A rim on the snout and white face lines; a pit in front of the eye in the Ridge-nosed Rattlesnake; no rim and no pit; a flat head in the Desert Nightsnake. B: No dark neck blotches in the Ridge-nosed Rattlesnake; a big dark blotch on each side of the neck in the Desert Nightsnake. C: A rattle in the Ridge-nosed Rattlesnake; thin and pointed, no rattle in the Desert Nightsnake. Both Ridge-nosed and Twin-spotted Rattlesnakes are protected in Arizona. Venomous: leave rattlesnakes alone and give them room.

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

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