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.

I found this Broad Banded Copperhead in west Texas back in 2014. I got enough caffeine and gas station burritos to last a full night of slow-driving empty roadways, and needed all of it. After not seeing a single-scaled animal the entire night, I finally spotted this beautiful snake crossing the road with the day’s […]

A juvenile Four-Lined Ratsnake we found in Greece. Visiting Europe for the first time, it was interesting to see so many lines of convergence of traits with animals more familiar from back home. This little snake felt just like a little Sonoran Gophersnake, likely occupying a similar role in the local ecology.

A Madrean Mountain Kingsnake we found in New Mexico in 2022 showing a higher degree of black in the bands than is typical.

I found this Rosa Boa in central Arizona earlier in the year. This is one of two species of boa that live in Arizona, which is a surprise to many who live here. They’re relatively small, typically around 2 feet long, and harmless to people (unless you consider an occasional minor nip “harm”). This one […]

San Lucan Speckled Rattlesnake with a friend that we found near the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula.