A Western Diamondback Rattlesnake basking in partial cover. This is how rattlesnakes and other reptiles typically thermoregulate. Filtered light and conduction from nearby surfaces and substrate can help them tune in on the right temperatures to a fine degree, all while avoiding detection by predators and prey. This is also a reminder of why it’s best to stay on established trails and keep dogs on leash when hiking in the spring.
Mexican Parrot Snake in the subtropical forest of southern Mexico.
A Southwestern Speckled Rattlesnake as they typically appear around Camelback Mountain in central Phoenix. It’s a surprise to many that multiple species of rattlesnakes are still present within a heavily populated urban area, but they continue to thrive there. Excessive heat from a surrounding sea of pavement makes life difficult in the summer, however, which often leads to encounters at adjacent homes with rattlesnakes looking to cool off in the lawns and citrus oasis of Paradise Valley.
An Arizona Black Rattlesnake from the western end of their range. Locals in the area often refer to them as “timber rattlers”, though actual Timber Rattlesnakes are a distinct species that is not found in the western states. This one was found on a relatively cold, rainy weekend in August, active on the surface just before the area was saturated.
A big Rainforest Hognosed Pitviper from the high forests of Guatemala a couple of years go. These are impressive little snakes that are nearly invisible in forest floor leaf litter.
The weird little face of a strange little snake. The Spotted Leafnosed Snake can be found in natural desert areas. Often, they are the only snakes moving on hot, dry, full moon nights in May and June, on the hunt for lizard eggs. The specialized scale on its nose, shaped like a leaf, helps it push through sand and soil to find them.
When disturbed, these small snakes may whip around, hissing and repeatedly faking a strike … though if you see it in slow motion, their mouths are closed the whole time. This is not a snake that bites.
A Blacktailed Rattlesnake from central Arizona. These snakes are often a green shade, leading to misidentification as a Mojave Rattlesnake (which, ironically, are seldom green in many areas). These are large rattlesnakes that live in mountainous terrain, commonly seen by hikers but rarely by homeowners.
We saw this Panamint Rattlesnake crossing a road with a bulge from a recent successful hunt. It had likely just happened, and we were seeing the animal moving back to cover. Typically, immediately after a rattlesnake eats, it will spend time moving in and out of cover to bask and digest, and be protected from predators in its less mobile state.
Newborn Banded Rock Rattlesnakes resting just outside of the retreat where they were born a few days prior.
A Colorado Desert Sidewinder, one of the three subspecies of sidewinders in Arizona. This one was found in the hot, sandy desert of the southwestern corner of the state.
