Category: Snakes

Western Diamondback Rattlesnake On Patrol

Posted on by Bryan Hughes

A large male Western Diamondback Rattlesnake cruising through dense vegetation, on the lookout for others that may be near. At this higher elevation den in the late fall, the females are already tucked into rock crevices and caves. All that remain on the surface are the largest males, patrolling for rivals, and getting into the occasional fight. This one finished its loop and settled back into the sunny spot it prefers for awhile, before doing it all again about an hour later. Why wait until spring to fight for the good spot, when you can do it in the fall?

Cat-eyed Snakes of Texas

Posted on by Bryan Hughes

A common sight around waterways south of the US are the cat-eyed snakes; mildly venomous, cat-eyed snakes (Leptodeira sp.). However, they do make it into the country in one small area of extreme south Texas. We found this Northern Cat-eyed Snake (Leptodeira septentrionalis) there several years ago. For friends in Arizona, these are most closely related to the nightsnakes (Hypsiglena sp.), both in form and lineage.

Vidal, N., Dewynter, M., & Gower, D. J. (2010). Dissecting the major American snake radiation: A molecular phylogeny of the Dipsadidae Bonaparte (Serpentes, Caenophidia). Comptes Rendus Biologies, 333(1), 48–55. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crvi.2009.11.003

https://comptes-rendus.academie-sciences.fr/biologies/articles/en/10.1016/j.crvi.2009.11.003/?utm_source=chatgpt.com

Speckled Rattlesnake from the Estrellas

Posted on by Bryan Hughes

Despite being incredibly easy to observe in surrounding mountain ranges, the Southwestern Speckled Rattlesnakes in the Sierra Estrella just southwest of Phoenix are harder to spot. They’re likely just as common, but the steep terrain and majority of prime geology for the species being inaccessible reservation land make it a challenge to see one. Kris Haas spotted this pretty one way up mountain.

Mojave Rattlesnake from Southeastern Arizona

Posted on by Bryan Hughes

A Mojave Rattlesnake from the grasslands of southeastern Arizona. This species in the area can be highly variable in appearance, from muted green tones to deeply contrasting browns and blacks, each can look very different from the next. This one is a more classic look, with dark diamonds against an olive green base color.

sThe stripe behind the eye, too, is classic Mojave Rattlesnake, extending straight back and never intersecting with the mouth. The two-tone tongue is also perfectly normal, though not always so pronounced.