The Western Diamondback, which can exceed seven feet in length, is the king of our twenty odd species and sub-species of Southwestern desert rattlers, not only in terms of size, but also in terms of its fearsome reputation.

• Its basic color ranges from brown to gray to pinkish, depending on the shade of its habitat.

• Its back is lined with dark diamond-shaped blotches outlined by lighter-colored scales. Its head is distinguished by two dark stripes, one on each side of its face, which run diagonally, like Zorro's mask, from its eyes back to its jaws.

• Its tail is circled by several alternating black and white bands, like the pattern of a raccoon's tail.

• Its patterns are most distinctive when the snake is young and are more faded, blurred and camouflaged when it is older.