While waiting for the diamondback to fully leave the trail, I took a water break and continued on. I was surprised to see it was still there on the other side of the bush and even more surprised by what was blocking its path. There are many creatures that will kill and eat a rattlesnake but I don’t think the desert cottontail is on that list. The rabbit had hopped across the trail while I was waiting, I was a little surprised since it clearly saw me and it must have seen the snake.
I took some quick pictures, zoomed all the way in on the snake, all the way out on the rabbit. I continued up the trail as I felt I was too close to not impact the outcome of the standoff, whatever it may be (I don’t think the snake was interested in the rabbit). When I passed back by, the only sign of the brief encounter was the thin strip in the sand where the snake first crossed the trail.
📷: Sony A6700 | Sony 100-400mm | Sony 1.4X
🗓️: June 2, 2024
Boolie 