Crotalus Scutulatus

Or as they are more popularly known the Mojave Green rattlesnake. Our main residence is on the eastern front of the Sierra Nevada mountains and is classified as high desert. The high desert is full of life it just tends to be spread out more and much of it is nocturnal. One member of the local fauna is the Mojave Green rattlesnake. They can have a nasty bite as the venom is both a neurotoxin as well as a hemotoxin.

I don't see them very often but I make sure they don't stay around. If I can't transport it easily I'll put it down quickly. Children and dogs are especially at risk from a bite. Just today a woman my wife knows had an unwanted visitor. They have 5 kids and numerous dogs, so, "something has to be done!" You can guess what happened, and I brought the carcass home. Here it is showing the beautiful pattern it has and I decided I needed some more rattlesnake leather.

The snake was a smaller specimen about 3 feet long and about 1.5 inches in diameter. I did a longitudinal cut along the bottom of the snake and then peeled the skin right off. I like to initially cure the skin in a 50/50 mix of glycerin and isopropyl alcohol. I'll leave the skin in the solution for a week or so and then peg it out to dry on a board. Here's the skin being soaked along with the rattle.

I have a rather dashing hat band made from a Mojave Green on my going out on the town hat which I think has a certain je ne sais quoi about it. A man has to have a hat that makes a statement.