Category: Snakes

Northern Cottonmouth Defensive Behavior

Posted on by Bryan Hughes

A Northern Cottonmouth from a quick trip to Texas in 2024. In about 6 hours, I lost count of how many there were. These are large, interesting snakes with complex social behavior, which are unfortunately well stuck in the monster that is the American urge to believe in nonsense.

All of them, as did every one of the hundreds of cottonmouths I’ve ever seen, did one of three things:

  • – Nothing at all
  • – Escaped ASAP
  • – Coiled, rattled its tail, and gaped like this

This pretty one was near my vehicle after I wrapped up a walk through the forest, followed by another just seconds later. I’ll be back for sure.

Banded Rock Rattlesnake On Lichen-Covered Rock

Posted on by Bryan Hughes

Banded Rock Rattlesnake from southeastern Arizona. These snakes, typically the males, can have a metallic blue-green shine along the back and outline of black bands, often against other bright pinks, blues, and orange. It matches the lichen covering rocks where they live. This one is a good example of a mature male of the species against the rocky backdrop of its habitat. From the uniform size of its rattle segments, it can be determined that it’s reached full size.

Regal Ringnecked Snake

Posted on by Bryan Hughes

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.

Baby Western Diamondback Rattlesnake Shows Its Age

Posted on by Bryan Hughes

Can you tell the age of a rattlesnake from counting the segments of its rattle? For the most part: no. But sometimes, it’s easy. This young Western Diamondback Rattlesnake was found late in the monsoon season. From its rattle, it can be seen it’s shed its skin exactly two times – once to reveal the full button (the notched last segment) from the prebutton it was born with, which is now fully articulated against the proximal segment, which is attached to the tail. That means that this snake was either a successful early-monsoon baby, or a terribly unsuccessful one-year-old. Based on its size and very healthy weight, the former is certainly true. That means that this snake, at the time that it was photographed, was around 2 months old.

It was found crossing a roadway, and escorted to the side to be on its way.

Sonoran Sidewinder Near Phoenix

Posted on by Bryan Hughes

Sonoran Sidewinders can be incredibly common in the right habitat, but that doesn’t often put them in the path of homeowners in the Phoenix and Tucson areas. Of the six species of rattlesnakes that can be found at the native habitat contact zones, this species is the first to disappear whenever roads come in. They once spanned the entire Phoenix metro valley, found in the desert around the base of Camelback Mountain and as far north and east as Cave Creek and the foothills of Scottsdale. This one was found in an area that will become developed over the next decade, and this now dense population of snakes will likely disappear.

Arizona Black Rattlesnakes At A Multi-Species Den

Posted on by Bryan Hughes

A pair of Arizona Black Rattlesnakes take the prime spot at the den, with a half dozen or more shuffling throughout the day behind them. For these snakes, it’s early den egress time, when they stage at and near the den for awhile before heading out for the season. This den is shared by two other species of rattlesnakes, though, all using the rocky area slightly differently. These are the last to emerge, with the Western Diamondback Rattlesnakes and Blacktailed Rattlesnakes having already dispersed for the year.

This was photographed in the late Spring several years ago in southeastern Arizona.

Western Diamondback Rattlesnake Crossing The Road

Posted on by Bryan Hughes

A thin Western Diamondback Rattlesnake stopped for a moment while crossing a dirt road. Often, this behavior is misinterpreted as “sunning”. While snakes may stop to bask like this, in many cases, it’s just that the snake saw the observer first and stopped moving in hopes the perceived predator will not notice it. They don’t know what roads and trails are, however, so imagine it from their perspective: moving along, headed home after a long night of ambush hunting … a monster appears in the distance and comes directly to you! It’s no wonder they then become defensive. But as always, the easy way to remain safe is just not to bother it.

Southwestern Speckled Rattlesnake in Orange Form

Posted on by Bryan Hughes

Southwestern Speckled Rattlesnake on the move late at night in Phoenix. These snakes are the most commonly encountered snake on many trails in the area. For the reasons you can see here, and others, these snakes are quite often misidentified as Tiger Rattlesnakes when people see them. At popular trails like Piestewa (not where this one was), they’re seen about every night, even on very busy paths. But, contrary to how people often think of rattlesnakes: bites are nearly unheard of in those situations.