I saw this big Blacktailed Rattlesnake crossing a roadway in the mountains southeast of Tucson. It had made most of its way across, and then did what cost many snakes their lives … it froze. These animals’ primary defense is not the famous rattle or a venomous bite, but camouflage. In most cases, that pattern […]

This pair of Western Diamondback Rattlesnakes were found at a den in central Arizona near the edge of the species range in the area. With at least fifty observable individuals, this is a large den for these snakes in the state, which is also shares with Blacktailed Rattlesnakes and Arizona Black Rattlesnakes. With multiple large […]

An Arizona Ridgnosed Rattlesnake from Cochise County, Arizona. This is a small rattlesnake that is found in a handful of mountainous areas in the southeastern corner of the state. A hiker may encounter one if they are in the Santa Rita, Patagonia, Huachuca, Canelo, or Whetstone ranges. Interestingly, every rancher and long-term resident of those […]

A brilliantly colored Speckled Rattlesnake from central Arizona. The rock in this particular spot doesn’t look very much like the snakes, but the occasional oxidized rock breaks off from higher and tumbles to the ground. When that orange rock sits under a bush or random location against the other grey and browns, it’s just part […]

This Southwestern Speckled Rattlesnake, at the time this photo was taken, was very gravid (pregnant). She was in a cool area with higher ambient moisture, which is a special place during the heat of the summer in Arizona. She’s still there this year, though at the time I saw her, she was not notably gravid.

A Western Diamondback Rattlesnake caught after breaking coil in a hurry. Sometimes, a situation like this is the result of a strike at passing prey. Afterward, if they succeeded in connecting, they’ll wait a few moments and then go off in search of the prey as it succumbs to the venom elsewhere. Or, if it […]

A Sonoran Lyresnake from just south of the Utah border in northern Arizona. I like their appearance in this area along the Colorado River. They’ll often have this high-contrast pattern, sometimes flecked with golds and maroon scales. This one is relatively young, and may take on some of these other colors as it matures.

This is an old photo of how most of the Southern Pacific Rattlesnakes I’ve seen are found. They were under trash in a heavily populated area. These are what I most wanted to see while visiting friends in the area, though are considered “trash snakes” by some of the locals because of how common they […]

This was a really cool snake to see! A Yellow-Green Cat Snake we found near the end of our time in India a few years ago. The Boiga genus has a relatively mild toxin, which is not likely an emergency but still something to be avoided.

We found this baby Madrean Mountain Kingsnake (Lampropeltis knoblochi) several years ago out on the move in moderate rain. These colorful snakes are common in mid- to upper-elevation mountain woodlands and riparian zones.