Ok. Sarcastic title aside, I'm totally new to herping and still very new to snakes in general. Its been a late-blooming interest I guess you could say. I have my ball python that isnt even a year old yet (I think) and I cant even say I'm a herper. The past couple of years I've taken up hiking as a form of exercise but of course hiking the same trails over and over gets boring. So last night I say to myself (after watching youtube videos of herpers) "I'm going to go to Montana de Oro tomorrow and take a hike with the intention of actually looking for something along the trails instead of just hiking for the sake of hiking." Never did I think I'd actually find anything other than the usual lizards and birds in the bushes.
So I get on the trail and not even 30 yards before I see this guy looking at me. Not moving, not shaking his rattle, just staring me down. Obviously I can tell its a rattlesnake but having this be the first rattlesnake I've ever seen in person (lived in california my whole life and honestly have never seen a snake in the wild) I just assume its a western diamond back and I move on. I have no idea, so I get home and hit up google to find a little more about it and I'm a bit stumped. I'm terrible with markings (simple things like a color variation will throw me off) but what I came up with, at least in my eyes, is that it is a Southern Pacific Rattlesnake.
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-o...o/CAM00044.jpg
This is my comparison photo
http://www.californiaherps.com/snake...lerisdcocg.jpg
Anyways, let me know what you think. Sorry if this is just a really dumb and obvious thing
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