Can You Believe What You See, Mississippi Rattlesnake

RECENTLY I RECEIVED AN EMAIL CONTAINING THIS IMAGE OF A RATTLESNAKE THAT WAS SUPPOSEDLY KILLED NEAR THE TOWN OF HOT COFFEE, MS.  I RESEARCHED IT AND IT DOES APPEAR THAT THE IMAGE MAY BE FAKED OR EXAGGERATED SOME.  THE OLD SAYING "BELIEVE NOTHING YOU HEAR AND ONLY HALF OF WHAT YOU SEE" IS MORE TRUE TODAY THAT WHEN ORIGINALLY SAID.  THAT ASIDE, I'VE LIVED IN MISSISSIPPI MOST MY LIFE AND HAVE ONLY COME ACROSS  ONE RATTLESNAKE THAT APPROACHED THE 6' RANGE.  I RECALL AS A YOUNG TEENAGER SEEING AN OLD PHOTO OF SUCH A SNAKE TAKEN BY AN ARMY RESERVIST AT CAMP SHELBY NEAR HATTIESBURG, IN THE 1950'S,  OF A SNAKE VERY SIMILAR TO THE ONE ABOVE.  DOES THE FACT THAT THIS IMAGE MAY BE A FAKE MEAN THAT NO SUCH SNAKES LIKE THIS EXIST IN THE WOODS OF THE SOUTHEASTERN PART OF THIS COUNTRY?  OF COURSE NOT!  ONE SHOULD BE VERY CAREFUL TO CONFIRM OR DENY THE EXISTANCE OF SUCH CREATURES.  IN THIS MODERN DAY WE ARE OFTEN TO QUICK TO POINT OUT THE FLAWS AND INCONSISTANCES OF SOMETHING AND THEREBY DENY THE REALITY OF WHAT MAY BE A TRUTH.  FINALLY, I WOULD SAY,  WHEN IN THE WOODS "WATCH WHERE YOU STEP"!  REMEMBER, YOU ARE ALWAYS IN THE WOODS!!!