Beautiful Blacktail

Prior to this beautiful creature, I’ve yet to meet a defensive black-tailed rattlesnake. The several previous snakes have all been peaceful creatures with no defensive behaviour, and scarcely even a rattle. This brazen chap, however, sat at the edge of the trail, greeting me with a rattle and a posture that clearly said “no bs.” After snapping a few pics, I offered him/her some water and continued down the trail with the rattle continuing until out of earshot.