Pygmy Rattlesnake

Of the pit vipers native to Florida this is the one that I'm most respectful of.  Cottonmouths have a reputation for being aggressive that I believe is unfounded.  The Pygmy rattles but not so you can hear it under most circumstances and will hold their ground.  They also inhabit lots of places I go to and like to lay in the middle of trails and on top of canal dikes and similar areas.  This one was in the middle of a forest road in the Ocala National Forest and wouldn't move for anything.  That makes it an obvious meal for Eagles and Hawks and it's unusual they will remain in such a visible spot.  I finally left him to his own devices, Eagles and Hawks have to eat too.