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 missed … back to the coil to try again.
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.
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.
A Tiger Rattlesnake from the Phoenix area. The blue-grey base color fading to pink with dark grey bands is a standard look in the area. These snakes are common in popular hiking areas, yet most people who frequent them for a lifetime will never see one because of their cryptic nature.
A Southwestern Speckled Rattlesnake found in ambush at sunup on a hot day in Arizona. Nearby, a cave with several more has been used as an aestivation site to avoid death in the summer months.
This photograph was taken in 2014. In recent years, the site has been abandoned, most likely due to increased human activity, based on evidence and observation of similar sites in the region.
A Grand Canyon Rattlesnake in the last light of the day in northern Arizona.
A young Sonoran Sidewinder (Crotalus cerastes cercobombus) with a nice, clean pattern near Phoenix last year. These small rattlesnakes are very common in the right habitat, but rarely seen by hikers because of the nature of that same habitat.
I saw this Mojave Rattlesnake (Crotalus scutulatus) crossing a dirt road near the U.S./Mexican border a few years ago in mid-elevation semi-desert grassland. Several other species can be found in the same band o transitional habitat, including Arizona Ridgenosed Rattlesnakes, Banded Rock Rattlesnakes, Western Diamondback Rattlesnakes, and Blacktailed Rattlesnakes. I escorted it off the road before it was killed by border patrol vehicles.
It takes a lot of patience to sneak up on this den of Prairie Rattlesnakes in northern Arizona. Unlike most rattlesnake dens I visit, these spook incredibly easily, retreating at the sight of me from well over 100′ away. Even when moving slowly, they seem to recognize the threat and disappear … for the rest of the day. It’s only by arriving before it’s warm enough to emerge and hiding behind boulders that it was possible for me to get these photos, and watch their actions for the morning.
These small variants of the species were once considered a separate subspecies (Hopi Rattlesnake), more than twenty years ago, but may be again, based on discussion of new research from reliable sources. These are all only around 1 to 1.5′ long, and will never get bigger. This is quite different than the much larger, greener (~3′) versions of the same species found in the Juniper-dominated hills, a relatively short drive away.
This topic will almost certainly mean the comments here will be dominated by snake people, similarly emerging from the crevices of the internet to shake fists in various directions. Taxonomy is a bit like music – whichever bands were popular at the time a young herpetologist is most active seem to become the prime lexicon, all future versions to be summarily dismissed as noise of youth.
A Southwestern Speckled Rattlesnake (Crotalus pyrrhus) in ambush along a ledge in central Arizona. While most of the boulder field where it was found is made of rock similar to how this snake looks … this particular large boulder made of light colored granite helped make this one easy to spot. We got some photos from a distance and left it there to hopefully succeed in getting that chuckwalla or ground squirrel it’s looking for.
