I grew up with this snake’s cousins out west so I was fascinated to finally meet my first Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake (Crotalus adamanteus). This was a healthy specimen and I was quite impressed by it’s girth.

Turns out, that’s one of the things this species is known for – being heavy. They don’t get much longer than 7 feet but in weight they average about 1 pound per foot, which is pretty hefty.