Probably not everyone will agree…

but this is one drop-dead gorgeous Prairie Rattlesnake! Certainly the prettiest I’ve ever seen.

Prairie Rattlesnake
Crotalus viridis

For perspective, this photo was taken at a distance of about 20 inches with a 60mm (macro) lens and cropped only slightly to center it. It is a large snake (40+inches) and very thick. Very well behaved and easily persuaded to pose for a few photos; alert but not aggressive.

**Correction** I originally thought this was a Western Rattlesnake but in a comment on my Flickr site, a gentleman (Correcamino) corrected me. Upon visiting his Flickr site and reading his profile it was clear that he knows what he’s talking about and I appreciate the correction.

(While I’m editing and correcting anyway, I thought I’d add another photo to show a close-up of the intense look on its face.)