Rattlesnake Revue

Nature can sure put on some amazing, jaw-dropping shows! Last week was a case in point, as two rattlesnakes along the Powder Canyon trail put on a dazzling performance. One of the Habitat Authority's dedicated volunteer Docents, Terry Tuttle, took some incredible pictures of the over 20 minute display by two rattlesnakes in the middle of the trail. It is unclear whether these two snakes were a male and female involved in a mating ritual, or whether they were two males involved in a wrestling match for dominance over the rights to mate with a nearby female. I believe the latter is more likely, as it appears that the snakes were trying to rear up as tall as possible, which has been described as one way that males compete with each other during this type of dominance dispute. However, either scenario is possible, since rattlesnakes are known to mate in the spring as well as fall. Words cannot adequately describe the event, so I'll let the pictures below do all of the talking. Enjoy!