A Baja California Rattlesnake we found a few years ago in Mexico. These interesting rattlesnakes can be found all over the peninsula, from sandy beaches to slides along nearly vertical cliffs, and everywhere in between. Just from impressions, they seem like someone mushed a sidewinder and tiger rattlesnake together to make a versatile desert rattlesnake.

A Mojave Rattlesnake from one of the higher-elevation populations in central Arizona. These snakes are common in grasslands, where they live in relatively flat, sandy areas. This one is from a canyon bottom it shares with several other species of rattlesnakes, including Western Diamondback Rattlesnakes, Arizona Black Rattlesnakes, Blacktailed Rattlesnakes, and Speckled Rattlesnakes.

A brilliantly colored Eastern Collared Lizard from the eastern edge of Arizona. This one watched us carefully from atop low boulders along an otherwise flat field, and allowed a single photograph before it disappeared.

A Tiger Rattlesnake in ambush late on a hot summer night several years ago. Despite being relatively seldom seen, this species is common in most of the mountains that overshadow the Phoenix metro valley.

A Sonoran Desert Tortoise making its way around to munch on green grasses and spring blossoms in central Arizona. These animals can live a long time, and can be found year after year using the same locations and burrows. They don’t do well with development, though. When those important sites disappear, they die out. In […]

A Trans-Pecos Ratsnake (Bogertophis subocularis) from the border region of Texas.

We met this Caspian Cobra in the grassy hills of eastern Uzbekistan. This cobra may have the most lethal venom of all cobras … but its venom also shows potential to be an effective treatment for some cancers. Ebrahim K, Vatanpour H, Zare A, Shirazi FH, Nakhjavani M. Anticancer Activity a of Caspian Cobra (Naja […]

A Southwestern Speckled Rattlesnake (Crotalus pyrrhus) resting in a small cave during the hottest time of the year. This location receives almost no sun, due to its depth and aspect, which makes it an ideal aestivation site. Snakes, as do other ectothermic (cold-blooded) animals, do regulate their body temperature by managing external forces. It’s more […]

Banded Rock Rattlesnakes are common in several of the sky islands of southeastern Arizona. They’re smaller than most expect a rattlesnake to be, with most that I’ve encountered being less than two feet long. They’re also strongly sexually dimorphic, which is not common in rattlesnakes. Males, like this one, often develop bright, metallic greens on […]

A Southwestern Speckled Rattlesnake making its way up a nearly vertical wall, taking advantage of numerous leverage opportunities. Rattlesnakes can climb, but not with the same skill as some non-venomous snakes, like gophersnakes or kingsnakes. Even from a moderate height, a fall can injure or even kill the animal, so caution is needed.