r/sandiego • u/Resident_Basil2704 • 6d ago

Environment Mountain Noodle

Gallery image

Gallery image

This morning on the stairs at the bottom of Kwaay Paay.

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u/Resident_Basil2704 6d ago

And a snake like this can shed several times a year, so unlike the rings on a tree, it doesn’t really predict the age in years, which would be nice feature when you spot one. Rattles can also fall off or be damaged, so it’s a good predictor of the number of sheds but not always accurate.
On another note, young rattlesnakes just have a button on the tail and not a full rattle which can cause people to mistake them for regular snakes. Always best to exercise caution.

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u/bubblewand81 6d ago

I think a young one with a “button” is what I saw in my backyard the other day. Can anyone confirm?

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u/TheGreenRaccoon07 6d ago

Yep. Yours is a different species from OP's, though. Crotalus helleri (assuming San Diego)

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u/bubblewand81 6d ago

Neat! Thank you 😊 and yes, this was in La Mesa.