The blue-grey eyes of a Southwestern Speckled Rattlesnake stand out against its red and grey body. This is a typical look for the species as they are found in rocky areas of central Phoenix. This snake carries a small passive radio transmitter that helps us learn about its life in an urban park.
A pregnant Southwestern Speckled Rattlesnake out on a wet morning, coiled to maximize rain capture. A surprise rain got about every rattlesnake in the area on the surface for the day, in various forms of this pose. Hydrophobic scales help collect drops of rain, which the snake can then drink directly from its skin, as she is doing here.
A Blacktailed Rattlesnake hiding deep in a cave on an extremely hot day. During the heat of summer, rattlesnakes like this one may stay hidden away from lethal temperatures, staying in one spot or coming just outside the entrance after dark.
An Arizona Ridgenosed Rattlesnake in southeastern Arizona. These small rattlesnakes are common where they are found, but even ranchers born and raised in the area usually have no idea it exists. That’s thanks, in part, to its nearly perfect camouflage, making it about invisible in oak leaf litter and bunchgrass.
Three of the half dozen or so Western Diamondback Rattlesnakes that occupy this den each winter. These snakes spend a lot of time during the early spring basking and making short movements to thermoregulate and for social reasons, where they are vulnerable to predators and other threats.
A Blacktailed Rattlesnake coiled in the grass in the Madrean woodlands of southeastern Arizona. These large, greenish rattlesnakes are a common sight for hikers and naturalists in the area.
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.
An Arizona Ridgenosed Rattlesnake in habitat on a humid monsoon morning in southeastern Arizona.
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.
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.
