Tag: mating

Banded Rock Rattlesnakes Courting Under A Rock

Posted on by Bryan Hughes

A mated pair of Banded Rock Rattlesnakes, tucked into rocks in a minor drainage in southeastern Arizona. During the late monsoon season, it’s not uncommon to find pairs or rattlesnakes like this, courting and mating in one rock pile while others are still giving birth elsewhere. The period of seasonal rain is the peak of activity for these animals, and a lot needs to be done in a relatively short period of time.

1.  Mata-Silva, V. (2011). Ecology of the Rock Rattlesnake (Crotalus lepidus) in the Northern Chihuahuan Desert. University of Texas at El Paso.
2. Mata-Silva, V., DeSantis, D.L., Wagler, A.E., et al. (2018). Spatial Ecology of Rock Rattlesnakes (Crotalus lepidus) in Far West Texas. Herpetologica, 74(3), 245–255.
https://doi.org/10.1655/Herpetologica-D-17-00091.1

Sonoran Sidewinder Tracking and Mating

Posted on by Bryan Hughes

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.