A male Western Diamondback Rattlesnake raises up to challenge another to a fight. The only problem: rocks getting in the way. Both males discovered one another in a narrow gap, which caused a lot of awkward shuffling before they managed to get some room to wrestle. Eventually, the other came out as well, and after a brief wrestling match, both went tumbling down the hill with no clear victor.
I first saw the diagonal parallel track lines in the sand, and stopped the car to take look for who left them. Nearby, the track-owner was on the move: a male Sonoran Sidewinder (right). I recognized its behavior as tracking something … maybe food, a mate, etc. His head moved side to side, tongue flicking fast and touching the ground.
Maybe 20 seconds later – I saw what he was looking for, a larger, female Sonoran Sidewinder. She continued sidewinding out of the area, with him following close behind. She eventually settled under a bush, and his courting eventually paid off. They were still there mating hours later on the return trip.
Notable here: the male went in and out of the standard sidewinding motion and rectilinear (straight, belly crawl) movement when tracking. Sidewinding was again used to move more quickly and keep up with the female when she was on her way.
