A Southwestern Speckled Rattlesnake I found in Cave Creek, Arizona. These snakes are common in the mountains of the area, where they often appear in this pink color.
Southwestern Speckled Rattlesnake in Pink
Category: Crotalus
Arizona Black Rattlesnake Near Phoenix
An Arizona Black Rattlesnake from relatively open desert in Maricopa County, Arizona. This species is diverse in appearance and habitat preferences, with this particular population inhabiting generally lower, hotter, and exposed areas.
Banded Rock Rattlesnake
A Banded Rock Rattlesnake found on a sunny day back in 2013 in the sky islands of Arizona. These small rattlesnakes are locally abundant, but would be difficult to be bitten by anyone not actively looking to handle, capture, or kill them. When they see a person, they typically just slip away into the rocks or grass quickly, sometimes with a parting buzz.
Arizona Black Rattlesnakes
A couple of Arizona Black Rattlesnakes tucked away in a den in central Arizona.
Speckled Rattlesnake in Central Arizona
A Southwestern Speckled Rattlesnake (Crotalus pyrrhus) found in Maricopa County several years ago. This species is among the most common snakes encountered at most parks across the Phoenix metro area.
Blacktailed Rattlesnake on a Rock
A Blacktailed Rattlesnake from central Arizona. The species also often has black eyes, too, especially in higher elevation individuals. This animal is found in mountainous areas, and often misidentified as a Mojave Rattlesnake due to their bright color, even by (especially by!) long-term locals.
Sonoran Sidewinder Close Up
Close up with a Sonoran Sidewinder, showing off its “horns”. They are actually soft scales that rise above the eye, a feature they share convergently with unrelated vipers in deserts on the other side of the world. This is one of several seen on a warm evening last year near Phoenix.
Speckled Rattlesnake in Pink Rocks
A Southwestern Speckled Rattlesnake from central Arizona. In this region, the rocks are often brightly colored with oxidized metals and tinted crystals. This makes for some really amazing snakes.
New Mexico Ridgenosed Rattlesnake
New Mexico Ridgenosed Rattlesnake (Crotalus willardi obscurus) from a survey several years ago.
Banded Rock Rattlesnake in Arizona
A Banded Rock Rattlesnake in the southeastern corner of Arizona. These are small rattlesnakes that tend to buzz and dive into rocks when seen.
Surprisingly, for as common as they are, discussion with local ranchers is usually met with a “huh?” when describing or showing photos of them.
