Photo Challenge: This Venomous Guy Knows (ahem) Scales

I came upon the first rattlesnake I have ever seen in the wild while hiking at a local woods.  They are rare in Michigan; I usually associate them with the great deserts of the American Southwest.  Fortunately, this guy didn’t move a muscle while I was watching him.  Who better than a reptile to stand in for this week’s challenge: Scale(s)?

Photo Challenge: Scale  

Massasauga rattlesnake