Of the Midget Faded Rattlesnakes (Crotalus concolor) I’ve seen, which is a smaller number than I’d prefer, I think this is the best looking. Found in Wyoming on a snow-flurried June day.
Midget Faded Rattlesnake in Wyoming
Category: Snakes
Young Sonoran Gophersnake On The Move
A Sonoran Gophersnake out moving across a roadway in the last sun of the day. Pinal County, AZ.
More about the Sonoran Gophersnake (Pituophis catenifer affinis.) https://rattlesnakesolutions.com/Gophersnake
Arizona Ridgenosed Rattlesnake In Habitat
An Arizona Ridgenosed Rattlesnake in habitat on a humid monsoon morning in southeastern Arizona.
Mojave Rattlesnake Defensive Crawl
A Mojave Rattlesnake on the crawl after a wet night in southeastern Arizona. It’s moving laterally, hissing and watching the perceived predator with the camera, but not rattling. As this species often does, instead, it curls its tail and “wags” it slowly as a display. Prairie Rattlesnakes, notably, will often do this tail-curling behavior instead of rattling.
This guided retreat, where the snake moves laterally to cover while keeping the business end pointed forward, causes a lot of confusion with observers. For one, it’s not always a straight line away, but to cover. That cover can be a vehicle, bushes, or a cast shadow … including from the person watching it. This, and confirmation bias from decades of beloved folklore, contribute to the many tall tales about Mojave Rattlesnakes.
- Greene, H. W., & May, P. G. (2002). Parental behavior by vipers. In G. W. Schuett, M. Höggren, M. E. Douglas, & H. W. Greene (Eds.), Biology of the Vipers (pp. 179–205). Eagle Mountain Publishing.
- Cardwell, M. D. (2013). Behavioral changes by Mohave rattlesnakes (Crotalus scutulatus) in response to drought. California State University, Sacramento.
- Maag, D. W., Francioli, Y. Z., Goetz, M. T. H., & Sanders, L. N. (2025). Variation in defensive and exploratory behaviors across a rattlesnake (Crotalus scutulatus × viridis) hybrid zone in Southwestern New Mexico. Scientific Reports, 15(1), 2345. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-96155-8
- Calvete, J. J., Massey, D. J., Sánchez, E. E., Sanz, L., & Bush, S. P. (2012). Venom variability and envenoming severity outcomes of the Crotalus scutulatus scutulatus (Mojave rattlesnake) from Southern Arizona. Toxicon, 60(9), 802–810. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.toxicon.2012.06.004
Banded Rock Rattlesnake Close Up
Close up with a Banded Rock Rattlesnake’s tiny face. These are small rattlesnakes that live in the madrean oak and grasslands of the southeastern corner of the state. This one may have been all of 14 inches long, as a small adult.
Interestingly, the noisy, speckled pattern shown here isn’t present in real life – it tends to appear on camera sensors, even when it’s not visible to the eye.
Fer De Lance On The Trail
A small Lancehead (Fer De Lance) I came across on a trail as I set off on a long solo hike in the Peruvian Amazon a couple of years ago. These snakes can be anywhere and everywhere, from the ground to trees, and quite easy to miss.
Coachwhip Sleeping In A Tree
Coachwhips are out and about on even the hottest days, rarely active at night. But they can still be found where they sleep, which is often up in trees high off the ground. We spotted this one doing just that just above eye level on a late night hike. These long, slender snakes are great climbers, and this is a reasonably safe spot for such an animal to evade predators and get off the hot ground.
Southwestern Speckled Rattlesnake Crypsis
A rattlesnake that looks like a rock. This Southwestern Speckled Rattlesnake was found in central Arizona in an area of rusty granite and quartz. The resulting cryptic pattern is just as colorful, including speckled grey blue eyes. Though it is brightly colored, these snakes can be very difficult to see in context.
Cochran, C. (2019). Variation in morphology, diet, and venom composition in Crotalus pyrrhus (Cope 1867) [Doctoral dissertation, Loma Linda University]. Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects. https://scholarsrepository.llu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3590&context=etd
Crowell, H. L., Whelan, J. M., & Harmel, M. V. (2020). Rattlesnake colouration affects detection by predators. Journal of Zoology, 310(1), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1111/jzo.12786
Hanscom, R. J., & Higham, T. E. (2023). Ambush hunting in snakes: Behaviour, function, and diversity. In Snakes: Ecology, behavior, and conservation (pp. 1–32). ResearchGate. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/373257803_Ambush_Hunting_in_Snakes_Behavior_Function_and_Diversity
Hanscom, R. J. (2025). From ambush to activity: Using accelerometry to reveal cryptic behaviors of rattlesnakes and kangaroo rats [Doctoral dissertation, University of California, Riverside]. eScholarship. https://escholarship.org/content/qt4ft2985w/qt4ft2985w.pdf
Teshera, M. S. (2021). Strike-induced chemosensory searching, kleptoparasitism, and the possibility of chemical crypsis in rattlesnakes [Doctoral dissertation, University of Texas at El Paso]. UTEP Digital Commons. https://scholarworks.utep.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=4357&context=open_etd
Twin Spotted Rattlesnake Up High
A Twin Spotted Rattlesnake at her high elevation retreat. Accessing these areas is somewhere between difficult and impossible, but they’re perfect for a small montane rattlesnake.
Banded Rock Rattlesnake in Arizona
A small Banded Rock Rattlesnake in ambush along the base of a boulder in southeastern Arizona. The pattern and bands break up its shape, making it difficult to see in context. This is a good way to catch one of the many Yarrows Spiny Lizards jumping around on the same rocks each morning.
