A boldly patterned, small Florida Cottonmouth spotted in suitably swampy habitat in Florida a couple of years ago. This pattern will likely fade quite a bit as it ages, but not to the same nearly uniform appearance of their northern relatives.
And no, they don’t chase anyone. Let’s all grow up.
A thunderstorm materialized while I was hiking in a canyon in southern Arizona, so I ducked into a grove of suitable trees to wait it out and not be the tallest thing in the area. While waiting, I saw scales … though not many. It was a Banded Rock Rattlesnake that had emerged from nearby rocks to take advantage of the first rain in several months. It was a reminder that even when intently looking for them, most rattlesnake encounters are ones we will never know about.
An Arizona Black Rattlesnake we spotted on a late-night search near Phoenix. These higher-elevation snakes are common in the central Arizona, where they are often misidentified as “Timber Rattlesnake”, though no timber rattlesnakes live anywhere in the Western US.
An Arizona Ridgenosed Rattlesnake in southeastern Arizona. These small rattlesnakes are found in bunchgrass and oak leaf litter at elevations above around 4,500′. Though they may be locally abundant, most of the long-term locals asked in the area about them have no idea it exists.
Buontempo, M. J. (2024). Evolutionary history of a specialized and diverse highland snake complex (Crotalus willardi) (Doctoral dissertation, University of Texas at El Paso). https://scholarworks.utep.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=5226&context=open_etd
A tiny green-blue arboreal viper I saw in trees at around eye level on a night hike in Peru a couple of weeks ago. This Two-Striped Forest Pitviper was only about as long as a hand, and as big around as a ballpoint pen.
A metallic green jewel of the Amazon – Two-Striped Forest Pitviper, from Peru a few years back.
A Southwestern Speckled Rattlesnake from a mountain range near Phoenix. In this area, this species is usually this orange-cream or brown. This one was found on a rocky hillside earlier in 2025.
Cochran, C. (2019). Variation in morphology, diet, and venom composition in Crotalus pyrrhus (Cope 1867). Doctoral dissertation, Loma Linda University. https://scholarsrepository.llu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3590&context=etd
New Mexico Ridgenosed Rattlesnake, Crotalus willardi obscurus. This adult was found in high-elevation woodland in northern Mexico.
Speckled Rattlesnakes are often seen by hikers in Phoenix, who can be surprised that wildlife can be found even on hiking trails in the middle of the city. If you’ve ever hiked Camelback, you’ve likely walked right past at least one of these beautiful pink animals. They’re very cryptic though, so not many people will ever know.
A common and beautiful sight on night time walks in the Amazon, the Crowned False Boa. These are relatively small, usually around two feet in length, and aren’t biters. They eat lizards and other snakes, and the occasional frog, rodent, and bird. Usually when they’re seen, it’s moving through leaf litter on the ground as a flash of red half in and out of debris.
