The face of a Chihuahuan Hook-nosed Snake. These are small eaters of invertebrates. The subtle scoop on the end of the nose is helpful for finding prey in the sandy, grassland soil where they live. Hardy, L. M. (1976). Gyalopion, G. canum, G. quadrangularis (Unpublished manuscript). University of Texas. Retrieved from https://repositories.lib.utexas.edu/bitstreams/7425e5d2-4c40-4129-b736-a067e0a8d23b/download  Parga, V. M. […]

Of the Midget Faded Rattlesnakes (Crotalus concolor) I’ve seen, which is a smaller number than I’d prefer, I think this is the best looking. Found in Wyoming on a snow-flurried June day.

A Sonoran Gophersnake out moving across a roadway in the last sun of the day. Pinal County, AZ. More about the Sonoran Gophersnake (Pituophis catenifer affinis.) https://rattlesnakesolutions.com/Gophersnake

An Arizona Ridgenosed Rattlesnake in habitat on a humid monsoon morning in southeastern Arizona.

A Mojave Rattlesnake on the crawl after a wet night in southeastern Arizona. It’s moving laterally, hissing and watching the perceived predator with the camera, but not rattling. As this species often does, instead, it curls its tail and “wags” it slowly as a display. Prairie Rattlesnakes, notably, will often do this tail-curling behavior instead […]

Close up with a Banded Rock Rattlesnake’s tiny face. These are small rattlesnakes that live in the madrean oak and grasslands of the southeastern corner of the state. This one may have been all of 14 inches long, as a small adult. Interestingly, the noisy, speckled pattern shown here isn’t present in real life – […]

A small Lancehead (Fer De Lance) I came across on a trail as I set off on a long solo hike in the Peruvian Amazon a couple of years ago. These snakes can be anywhere and everywhere, from the ground to trees, and quite easy to miss.

Coachwhips are out and about on even the hottest days, rarely active at night. But they can still be found where they sleep, which is often up in trees high off the ground. We spotted this one doing just that just above eye level on a late night hike. These long, slender snakes are great […]

A Gila Monster I followed to a nest of cottontails. It took a while, but it ate all three of them that were in there. Amazingly, they all fit, and the lizard ambled off to rest under an overhanging root in the drainage. It was a good example of how the venom of Gila Monsters […]

A rattlesnake that looks like a rock. This Southwestern Speckled Rattlesnake was found in central Arizona in an area of rusty granite and quartz. The resulting cryptic pattern is just as colorful, including speckled grey blue eyes. Though it is brightly colored, these snakes can be very difficult to see in context. Cochran, C. (2019). […]