A Western Diamondback Rattlesnake caught after breaking coil in a hurry. Sometimes, a situation like this is the result of a strike at passing prey. Afterward, if they succeeded in connecting, they’ll wait a few moments and then go off in search of the prey as it succumbs to the venom elsewhere. Or, if it missed … back to the coil to try again.
A Sonoran Lyresnake from just south of the Utah border in northern Arizona. I like their appearance in this area along the Colorado River. They’ll often have this high-contrast pattern, sometimes flecked with golds and maroon scales. This one is relatively young, and may take on some of these other colors as it matures.
This is an old photo of how most of the Southern Pacific Rattlesnakes I’ve seen are found. They were under trash in a heavily populated area. These are what I most wanted to see while visiting friends in the area, though are considered “trash snakes” by some of the locals because of how common they are, and the fact that they add a dangerous element to collecting kingsnakes and boas. I have regrettably few good photographs of these animals, partly for this reason.
This was a really cool snake to see! A Yellow-Green Cat Snake we found near the end of our time in India a few years ago. The Boiga genus has a relatively mild toxin, which is not likely an emergency but still something to be avoided.
We found this baby Madrean Mountain Kingsnake (Lampropeltis knoblochi) several years ago out on the move in moderate rain. These colorful snakes are common in mid- to upper-elevation mountain woodlands and riparian zones.
A Tiger Rattlesnake from the Phoenix area. The blue-grey base color fading to pink with dark grey bands is a standard look in the area. These snakes are common in popular hiking areas, yet most people who frequent them for a lifetime will never see one because of their cryptic nature.
A Southwestern Speckled Rattlesnake found in ambush at sunup on a hot day in Arizona. Nearby, a cave with several more has been used as an aestivation site to avoid death in the summer months.
This photograph was taken in 2014. In recent years, the site has been abandoned, most likely due to increased human activity, based on evidence and observation of similar sites in the region.
A Grand Canyon Rattlesnake in the last light of the day in northern Arizona.
Up close with a Banded Rock Rattlesnake from the sky islands of southeastern Arizona. These small, mountain-dwelling rattlesnakes are quick to flee when found. A typical encounter for a hiker is a short buzz and a glimpse of the last half of its body sliding under a rock.
The tiny black flecks you see in the scales aren’t really visible in real life, or even visible at all. They show up on camera sensors, though, for some reason. Similarly, it’s often difficult to capture the colors of the species on camera … a snake with a bright green stripe down its back may appear to be without it on camera.
A young Sonoran Sidewinder (Crotalus cerastes cercobombus) with a nice, clean pattern near Phoenix last year. These small rattlesnakes are very common in the right habitat, but rarely seen by hikers because of the nature of that same habitat.
