Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake picture

At any park or natural are in Florida you’ve got to watch your step and keep your kids within arms reach. Even if you’re on the trail, even if it’s a paved trail. This big boy was about 3 feet from the trail, about 100 feet from the main building, all coiled up and ready to strike.
Eastern Diamondback rattlesnakes aren’t very shy. They do prefer to work and in live without being noticed. But if you do notice them, they will NOT flee.

What makes them even more dangerous is how well they blend in with their surroundings. They seem to change color a bit depending on the time of the year or their surroundings or something. Look at how muted the colors are on this one are. This one is surrounded by faded gray dead wood. These diamondback rattlesnakes on the other hand are surrounded by brighter colored dead and living ferns, and their colors are brighter, more orange… I don’t think they actually change color like an octopus, but they are definitely the same species and they are definitely different colors…