Several Western Diamondback Rattlesnakes moving around their winter den on a cloudy, warm Spring day near Tucson. These snakes move daily on the surface like this, mostly avoiding detection, for a few weeks during their transition from hibernation to spring hunting. During that time, a lot of social activity takes place.
A Speckled Rattlesnake (Crotalus mitchellii) we found in Baja California several years ago, doing its thing in exposed basalt and sand.
A Southwestern Speckled Rattlesnake waiting for an unlucky animal to come along in Phoenix. These locations are carefully selected, often after tracking a scent trail for some distance to find an ideal ambush situation.
A Banded Rock Rattlesnake with a pink belly found in southeastern Arizona last year. These small snakes are quick to rattle but seldom stand their ground, opting to flee into bunchgrass or dive into jumbles of rock.
San Lucan Speckled Rattlesnake with a friend that we found near the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula.
