...he really wants to give you a kiss!
yup, that good 'ol kiss of DEATH!

cuddly my butt! he'll be cuddling you while sinkin' them pearly whites into your skin!

he is really gorgeous though but growing up in california has taught me one thing...
er, well, my dad taught this to me actually...

"oh look at the pretty little rattlesnake just chillin' there. what's he doin' with his tail? oh he wants to talk to me..."

then outta no where he busts out a shovel and....
sorry folks but my dad gave no second chances to a rattler that got caught too close to the house. i never understood why he didnt just use the shovel to scoop it up and toss it back over the fence or something. but he always said
"once they find a cozy spot they'll keep coming back to it and someday one of you girls is gonna get bit cuz you dont know they're there until your darn near steppin' on it."
i always felt sorry for them.
i've been blessed to not have come across anything since moving here to SC.

ok yeah so it's better to observe this beauty from a good out-of-strike-range distance.