Category: atrox

Western Diamondback Out in the Rain

Posted on by Bryan Hughes

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 🙂

Western Diamondback Rattlesnake Staying Cool

Posted on by Bryan Hughes

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.

Western Diamondback Rattlesnake On Patrol

Posted on by Bryan Hughes

A large male Western Diamondback Rattlesnake cruising through dense vegetation, on the lookout for others that may be near. At this higher elevation den in the late fall, the females are already tucked into rock crevices and caves. All that remain on the surface are the largest males, patrolling for rivals, and getting into the occasional fight. This one finished its loop and settled back into the sunny spot it prefers for awhile, before doing it all again about an hour later. Why wait until spring to fight for the good spot, when you can do it in the fall?

Western Diamondback Rattlesnake Ready To Fight

Posted on by Bryan Hughes

A male Western Diamondback Rattlesnake raises up to challenge another to a fight. The only problem: rocks getting in the way. Both males discovered one another in a narrow gap, which caused a lot of awkward shuffling before they managed to get some room to wrestle. Eventually, the other came out as well, and after a brief wrestling match, both went tumbling down the hill with no clear victor.

Western Diamondback Rattlesnake Warning

Posted on by Bryan Hughes

A Western Diamondback Rattlesnake communicating with me in the same way it does with any of the many predators that it fears. He stands up as tall as he can, hissing, rattling, and making the idea of coming any closer a decidedly bad idea.

What it isn’t doing: showing aggression. This behavior, even though it may seem scary (as it is intended to), is not a sign of “attack”, but a small animal’s best attempt at preserving its own life. For some reason, humans have a very hard time understanding this, and the incredibly simple way for everyone to leave safely: walk away. After a few photos, that’s what I did. Thanks for the heads up, snake.

Western Diamondback Rattlesnake Basking Under Cover

Posted on by Bryan Hughes

A Western Diamondback Rattlesnake basking in partial cover. This is how rattlesnakes and other reptiles typically thermoregulate. Filtered light and conduction from nearby surfaces and substrate can help them tune in on the right temperatures to a fine degree, all while avoiding detection by predators and prey. This is also a reminder of why it’s best to stay on established trails and keep dogs on leash when hiking in the spring.

Baby Western Diamondback Rattlesnake Shows Its Age

Posted on by Bryan Hughes

Can you tell the age of a rattlesnake from counting the segments of its rattle? For the most part: no. But sometimes, it’s easy. This young Western Diamondback Rattlesnake was found late in the monsoon season. From its rattle, it can be seen it’s shed its skin exactly two times – once to reveal the full button (the notched last segment) from the prebutton it was born with, which is now fully articulated against the proximal segment, which is attached to the tail. That means that this snake was either a successful early-monsoon baby, or a terribly unsuccessful one-year-old. Based on its size and very healthy weight, the former is certainly true. That means that this snake, at the time that it was photographed, was around 2 months old.

It was found crossing a roadway, and escorted to the side to be on its way.