A California Kingsnake on the crawl late at night in central Arizona.
California Kingsnake in Gila County, Arizona
Category: Colubridae
Big Ringnecked Snake In The Driveway
A large Regal Ringnecked Snake greeted me in my driveway as I headed out for the night to look for snakes. Ironically, this was the species I was hoping to see when I set out. This one was about 20″ long, which is large for a ringneck, though not so much so in Arizona. I got some photos and let it go on its way.
Mexican Parrot Snake
Mexican Parrot Snake in the subtropical forest of southern Mexico.
Saddled Leafnosed Snake Close Up
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.
California Kingsnake On The Hunt
A California Kingsnake I saw crossing a road near my house. I was out looking for baby Western Diamondback Rattlesnakes to move off the roadway, which were out in force that night. I think this kingsnake and I were doing the same thing, though hoping for different outcomes. I moved it to the side of the road and wished it luck.
Desert Kingsnake
In the southeastern corner of Arizona, kingsnakes look different than the black and white banded pets many people are familiar with. This Desert Kingsnake, as an example, of a more speckled, chain-link pattern and somewhat more colorful base color. This is, with much variation, similar to how they’ll look throughout the Chihuahuan desert, and much of the subtropical Sonoran.
Baja Ratsnake
A Baja Ratsnake we found late at night in Baja California Sur, showing some iridescence in the camera flash.
Regal Ringnecked Snake
To another small snake, this is a terrifying sight. A venomous snake-eating specialist that will take prey almost as large as it is by clamping down tight and flipping over, using its atypically long body as an anchor. After releasing, it follows the mortally wounded snake, face to face, watching it until it either dies or needs another round of venom.
But to humans – totally harmless, not that it would bite anyway.
We found this Regal Ring-necked Snake crossing a roadway after dark in southeastern Arizona. Most that I’ve seen are in the day time … in fact, this is the only one I can find in my memory or notes that I’ve found at night. In this photo, it’s showing its characteristic defensive display, with a brightly colored underbelly and twisted tail.
Sonoran Lyresnake From Yuma County
Sonoran Lyresnake from the southwestern corner of Arizona. These snakes are common in the right habitat, but most lifelong Arizona residents will never see one. The large eyes indicate one of the reasons: they’re primarily nocturnal, often moving late at night long after temperatures have cooled enough to have stopped most other snake activity.
Yellow-tailed Cribo
A very impressive animal – an adult Yellow-tailed Cribo found near camp in Peru.
