To people who aren’t experienced, the Mojave Rattlesnake can be difficult to distinguish from the Western Diamondback Rattlesnake. Their convergent patterning and tail banding can be confusing without an understanding of some of the basic differences in their physiology. Below is a photo of one of these differences, the number of scales between the ocular scales which cover the eyes. In the Mojave, there are 2 (occasionally 3). In a Western Diamondback, there are 4 or more.
Tags: Crotalus scutulatus, field herpetology, identification, mojave rattlesnake