A venomous pit viper of the Chihuahuan and Sonoran Deserts, the Black-tailed Rattlesnake is most commonly found in arid landscapes. Their curious nature, paired with venom only a third as deadly as their Western Diamondback cousins, makes them one of the ‘friendliest’ rattlesnakes you may encounter. In fact, most run-ins with humans do not end deadly (for the human, anyway). I was lucky enough to see one slowly cross the road at Davis Mountains State Park last summer.