Western Rattlesnake vs. Sonoran Lyre Snake
Both hunt on rocky slopes in southern California and southern Nevada; the Lyre Snake's broad head and cat-like pupils make it look like a rattlesnake. A: Broad and triangular, with a pit between the eye and the nostril in the Western Rattlesnake; broad behind, with a dark lyre-shaped mark on top; no pit in the Sonoran Lyre Snake. B: A rattle in the Western Rattlesnake; no rattle: a slim, tapering tail in the Sonoran Lyre Snake. C: Heavy, with rough keeled scales in the Western Rattlesnake; slim, with smooth scales in the Sonoran Lyre Snake. The Lyre Snake is rear-fanged with a mild venom, harmless to people. Venomous: leave rattlesnakes alone and give them room.
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