A Southwestern Speckled Rattlesnake (Crotalus pyrrhus) found in Maricopa County several years ago. This species is among the most common snakes encountered at most parks across the Phoenix metro area.
Speckled Rattlesnake in Central Arizona
Category: Snakes
Blacktailed Rattlesnake on a Rock
A Blacktailed Rattlesnake from central Arizona. The species also often has black eyes, too, especially in higher elevation individuals. This animal is found in mountainous areas, and often misidentified as a Mojave Rattlesnake due to their bright color, even by (especially by!) long-term locals.
Sonoran Sidewinder Close Up
Close up with a Sonoran Sidewinder, showing off its “horns”. They are actually soft scales that rise above the eye, a feature they share convergently with unrelated vipers in deserts on the other side of the world. This is one of several seen on a warm evening last year near Phoenix.
Speckled Rattlesnake in Pink Rocks
A Southwestern Speckled Rattlesnake from central Arizona. In this region, the rocks are often brightly colored with oxidized metals and tinted crystals. This makes for some really amazing snakes.
Sonoran Lyresnake in Arizona
A Sonoran Lyresnake we found late at night as it was leaving a rocky hillside, heading out towards open flat desert.
Banded Calico Snake
One of the colorful Banded Calico Snakes found near camp in Peru a few years back.
Black-necked Gartersnake in Greenlee County, Arizona
A Black-necked Gartersnake we found while hiking a high-elevation stream in Greenlee County, Arizona. This one had lost its pattern entirely, becoming solid grey animal with stripes and its characteristic black patches behind the head.
New Mexico Ridgenosed Rattlesnake
New Mexico Ridgenosed Rattlesnake (Crotalus willardi obscurus) from a survey several years ago.
Regal Ringnecked Snake
A Regal Ringnecked Snake we found in central Arizona many years ago. These are venomous, but harmless, eating a wide variety of prey from invertebrates to other snakes. The red color under the tail, which is shown here in defensive display, is just a hint at the bright colors that run the length of the belly.
Banded Rock Rattlesnake in Arizona
A Banded Rock Rattlesnake in the southeastern corner of Arizona. These are small rattlesnakes that tend to buzz and dive into rocks when seen.
Surprisingly, for as common as they are, discussion with local ranchers is usually met with a “huh?” when describing or showing photos of them.
