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.
Mojave Rattlesnake of a fairly typical color and pattern for the Phoenix area. These snakes are common in the flat, sandy creosote areas surrounding the city. They were once common in what is now downtown, being found in the flats around Camelback Mountain and Piestewa Peak (though not on the mountains themselves). They’ve long been extirpated from those areas, but can still be found in small, isolated pockets of habitat around Scottsdale.
An Arizona Ridgenosed Rattlesnake found in bunchgrass on a perfect, overcast day in the Arizona sky islands.
An especially beautiful Central American Eyelash Viper that I found in Costa Rica last year on a family vacation.
