Sidewinder vs. Western Rattlesnake
Both live where the western Mojave and Colorado deserts meet the mountains; their records overlap there. A: A raised, pointed horn-like scale over each eye in the Sidewinder; flat scales over the eye; no horns in the Western Rattlesnake. B: Pale cream, tan or pink with rows of small, soft-edged blotches in the Sidewinder; dark brown blotches with sharp pale edges on grey, tan or olive in the Western Rattlesnake. The Sidewinder is small (17-33 in) and moves sideways over sand. Both are venomous: leave them alone.
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