Tiger Rattlesnake

Today I found out what a rattlesnake sounds like. It was in the grass just off the trail. Luckily I was walking on the other side of the path. I passed within four feet of it without seeing it. It started rattling right after I passed it. At first I thought it was a squirrel yelling at me but it didn't sound quite like a squirrel. So I started to investigate and realizing what it was I quickly decided to back off. I was about twelve feet away when I took this shot. I estimate it was 4 to 5 feet long. My understanding is they can strike up to half the length of their body. So I have to say I was very lucky today. Tomorrow the first thing I'm going to do is get myself a snake bite kit.