An Arizona Ridgenosed Rattlesnake in habitat on a humid monsoon morning in southeastern Arizona.
Arizona Ridgenosed Rattlesnake In Habitat
Category: willardi
Arizona Ridgenosed Rattlesnake
An Arizona Ridgenosed Rattlesnake from the southeastern corner of Arizona. I photographed this young snake back in 2014 (that’s how behind I am in photos).
At this point, assuming she hasn’t met an end by fire, drought, bear, poacher, or any of the other ways a small snake can enter the carbon cycle, she is an older adult. She may have given birth every couple or few years, and still has a lot of life to live. Rattlesnakes can live for decades, continually learning to make better use of their environment and home range.
Arizona Ridgenosed Rattlesnakes With Babies
An Arizona Ridgenosed Rattlesnake with her newborns.
Like many snakes, including all vipers in the U.S., these rattlesnakes do not lay eggs. They give live birth to young, which stay with the mother for a period of time afterward. Once they’ve shed skin for the first time, around ten days later, they will disperse. In the meantime, these little ones spend time with their moth, following her lead on their first experiences with a big, dangerous world.
Arizona Ridgenosed Rattlesnake at Night
An Arizona Ridgenosed Rattlesnake spotted late on a humid monsoon night in southeastern Arizona. This is the state reptile, though relatively few Arizona residents will ever see one.
Arizona Ridgenosed Rattlesnake
A dull Arizona Ridgenosed Rattlesnake found out at night in madrean oak forest of southeastern Arizona. Nocturnal activity is common with this species during the humid, hot nights of monsoon season.
Arizona Ridgenosed Rattlesnake Close Up
The face of the Arizona state reptile, an Arizona Ridgenosed Rattlesnake found in the Madrean oak grasslands of the sky islands. These small snakes rattle is reduced to sound more like an insect than what most expect from a rattlesnake. Despite being common, most of the ranchers and residents in the area that I’ve spoken with over the years have never heard of it – a testament to its cryptic lifestyle.
