A Western Diamondback Rattlesnake resting on the surface of the rock pile that serves as its winter den. This was not a particularly warm day, but it and several others were found in close proximity to one another to get ready for another year.
This pair of Western Diamondback Rattlesnakes were found at a den in central Arizona near the edge of the species range in the area. With at least fifty observable individuals, this is a large den for these snakes in the state, which is also shares with Blacktailed Rattlesnakes and Arizona Black Rattlesnakes. With multiple large males roving around, I was watching hoping for combat, but it didn’t happen this day. This photo was taken right after the snakes eventually moved from courtship to mating, with tails elevated. They remained in this location for at least the rest of the day.
A Western Diamondback Rattlesnake caught after breaking coil in a hurry. Sometimes, a situation like this is the result of a strike at passing prey. Afterward, if they succeeded in connecting, they’ll wait a few moments and then go off in search of the prey as it succumbs to the venom elsewhere. Or, if it missed … back to the coil to try again.
We were out checking dens on a spring day and stopped at one last spot. It was a rocky outcrop relatively isolated from the rest of the mountain, and looked great from at distance. Upon getting to it, we were immediately greeted with this large Western Diamondback Rattlesnake on the move a short distance from what we’d later recognize as the entrance.
We saw this Western Diamondback Rattlesnake resting high on a ledge, just below a crevice where at least one other was resting.
A neonate Western Diamondback Rattlesnake was spotted coiled near the rodent burrow it has been hiding out in during its first weeks of life. This was in July of last year, so it had to have been born pretty early in the season, relatively, to be by itself at that point.
A Western Diamondback Rattlesnake I found in ambush on a late-night hike in a desert canyon. When it’s hot, these snakes are mostly nocturnal, only seeing daylight shortly after sunup for much of the summer.
A Western Diamondback Rattlesnake I found eating a rodent. Which order of these animals do you think kills more people in any given year in the US?
One of many Western Diamondback Rattlesnake out in the rain on a cold December night. Being warm is great and all, but water drives activity in the desert.
You may see us issue a statement from time to time to give a heads up before going to firewood piles, etc. These events are largely predictable, where rattlesnakes behave in ways that are surprising to most people, and we may assume it’s not possible to see a rattlesnake. When you see something like that from us, know that it’s from a lot of data and getting out of bed in the middle of the night in December to stand around in the rain waiting to see if snakes come out 🙂
A Western Diamondback Rattlesnake in ambush in a sandy wash on a very hot night.
This sand is much cooler than the surrounding rock, with smaller particles that lose energy more quickly. While it’s easy to think of reptiles as ectotherms always looking for sources of heat, they’re just as often looking for ways to lose it. Thermoregulating is more like a behavioral thermostat, and areas like this help.
