The subject is the sidewinder (Crotalus cerastes), a small rattlesnake species that occurs in the desert regions of southeastern California, western Arizona, southern Nevada, southwestern Utah, and northwestern Mexico. The species' common name hints at its unique form of locomotion, a winding behavior that is thought to give it traction on shifting desert sand. This painting was completed in 2017 and auctioned to support the Rattlesnake Preservation Trust. 