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This rattlesnake was given to me as a Ruberi. Can any one verify that it is for me? It looks like a WDB to me.

Thanks

Joe

Well, just a laypersons' opinion here, but the head doesn't look right for an atrox....Both ruber and atrox do look very similar tho, and some ruber can be quite muddy and brown, depending on what part of their range they live in....Do you have locality data on this animal? That might help in pinpointing the species....

Without doing scale counts and other scientific stuff (i.e. just a glance at the photo), I'd go with a brownish ruber....although the pattern does look alot like atrox....it's that head that just doesn't look "chunky" enough for an atrox.....I very well may be wrong here tho....

-AzAtrox

I'm sorry I don't know any locale info. I got it from a guy out of Dallas. I'll try to get the locale info if he know the info.

Thanks

Joe

Best key I can find is on the ruber, the first lower labial is divided transversely. Hop that helps.

~~Greg~~

Without being able to see some of the fine scalation details, I would go with ruber as the proper identification. BUT, there are some very red looking atrox but looking at pattern, what little labial scalation I can see with my aging eyes, I'd go with a RDB...not exactly the stunning reds I have seen but still a handsome animal nonetheless.

>>This rattlesnake was given to me as a Ruberi. Can any one verify that it is for me? It looks like a WDB to me.
>>
>>Thanks
>>
>>Joe
>>
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Rob Carmichael, Curator
The Wildlife Discovery Center at Elawa Farm
Lake Forest, IL

The patterning doesn't look quite as "squarish" as it might for atrox. What would help quite a bit is a pic(s) of the side of the head (for the angle of the mask stripe) and tail. Although, both of those traits are going to be similar. The outline and shape of the dorsal blotches do indicate ruber to me also, based on your pic.

Eimon