Uncomfortable Plateau<p>Midget Faded Rattlesnake in <a href="https://sunny.garden/tags/WesternColorado" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>WesternColorado</span></a>. Tiny cutie was next to the trail I was mountainbiking. Maybe 25cm/10" long. So young her little rattle-nub wasn't able to rattle, yet. Had my zoom camera so was able to stay safely away, but she did get a little tense by the end of her modeling session. Note the mountain bike track in the background of one pic.</p><p>As these snakes mature, the striking pattern fades to a dustier look that's harder to see, though they become much more audible if they sense an intruder. They're common, though infrequently encountered, in the arid plateau lands of Western Colorado and Eastern Utah. </p><p>Venom can be highly toxic. Learn more here:<br><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crotalus_concolor" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crotal</span><span class="invisible">us_concolor</span></a></p><p>Which reminds me, I need to donate to the Wikipedia Foundation today. Maybe you should, too?</p><p><a href="https://sunny.garden/tags/WildlifeWednesday" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>WildlifeWednesday</span></a> <a href="https://sunny.garden/tags/snakestodon" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>snakestodon</span></a> <a href="https://sunny.garden/tags/colorado" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>colorado</span></a> <a href="https://sunny.garden/tags/snake" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>snake</span></a> <a href="https://sunny.garden/tags/DesertDenizen" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>DesertDenizen</span></a></p>