Category: Crotalus

Arizona Black Rattlesnakes At A Multi-Species Den

Posted on by Bryan Hughes

A pair of Arizona Black Rattlesnakes take the prime spot at the den, with a half dozen or more shuffling throughout the day behind them. For these snakes, it’s early den egress time, when they stage at and near the den for awhile before heading out for the season. This den is shared by two other species of rattlesnakes, though, all using the rocky area slightly differently. These are the last to emerge, with the Western Diamondback Rattlesnakes and Blacktailed Rattlesnakes having already dispersed for the year.

This was photographed in the late Spring several years ago in southeastern Arizona.

Western Diamondback Rattlesnake Crossing The Road

Posted on by Bryan Hughes

A thin Western Diamondback Rattlesnake stopped for a moment while crossing a dirt road. Often, this behavior is misinterpreted as “sunning”. While snakes may stop to bask like this, in many cases, it’s just that the snake saw the observer first and stopped moving in hopes the perceived predator will not notice it. They don’t know what roads and trails are, however, so imagine it from their perspective: moving along, headed home after a long night of ambush hunting … a monster appears in the distance and comes directly to you! It’s no wonder they then become defensive. But as always, the easy way to remain safe is just not to bother it.

Southwestern Speckled Rattlesnake in Orange Form

Posted on by Bryan Hughes

Southwestern Speckled Rattlesnake on the move late at night in Phoenix. These snakes are the most commonly encountered snake on many trails in the area. For the reasons you can see here, and others, these snakes are quite often misidentified as Tiger Rattlesnakes when people see them. At popular trails like Piestewa (not where this one was), they’re seen about every night, even on very busy paths. But, contrary to how people often think of rattlesnakes: bites are nearly unheard of in those situations.

Arizona Black Rattlesnake From Greenlee County

Posted on by Bryan Hughes

An Arizona Black Rattlesnake from the far-eastern end of their range. This species’ appearance can vary from entirely black to light shades of grey and purple and change color from day to day. Many grow into adults that aren’t black at all.

From some areas, they may look strange. But, this may be only bias – most of the photographs you’ll see online of Arizona Black Rattlesnakes are from a handful of locales, and not representative of the phenotypic gamut of the species. The range where this one was found, in particular, has relatively few records of rattlesnakes on the books compared to the rest of the state.

Northern Blacktailed Rattlesnake in a Tree

Posted on by Bryan Hughes

I spotted this Northern Blacktailed Rattlesnake (Crotalus molossus molossus) resting about 4′ up in a tree on a hike in Yuma County, Arizona. Being up there can serve many purposes, from getting some cooler air on the belly to better hunting opportunities. This snake was likely hunting, waiting for one of the small birds and lizards common in the area to make its last mistake.

Speckled Rattlesnake Drinking Rainwater

Posted on by Bryan Hughes

One of several Southwestern Speckled Rattlesnakes drinking water from its hydrophobic scales after a surprise June rain a few years ago. These snakes group up, often alongside other species, to wait out the hottest, driest times of year. When a rare rain event does come, everyone comes out to soak and drink all they can. Regardless of the season, every chance to drink in Arizona may be the last one for months, and these events are not to be missed.

Baby Great Basin Rattlesnake

Posted on by Bryan Hughes

A young Great Basin Rattlesnake found in the Arizona strip – an expansive, relatively isolated region between the Grand Canyon and Utah. In the transition to Great Basin desert grassland, this species is the only rattlesnake all the way north into Idaho, and West into Oregon and northern California. This young snake will fade with age into the two-tone broken blotches of tan and brown … or one of the many other color combinations of the species.