A Southwestern Speckled Rattlesnake resting outside its aestivation den, which it shares with several others to wait out the hottest, driest time of summer.
Speckled Rattlesnake On A Hot Morning
Tag: Phoenix
Speckled Rattlesnake In A Cave
A Southwestern Speckled Rattlesnake hiding from the sun near the entrance of a shallow cave in south Phoenix. During the springtime, this species can be found even relatively far from its rocky habitat, hunting birds and lizards at the base of creosote. This caliche cave, which is also the occasional home to a Sonoran Desert Tortoise or two, is about as far from its winter and summer preferred homes as it will get in the year, nearly a quarter mile from the nearest sizable rock.
Speckled Rattlesnake Close Up
The blue-grey eyes of a Southwestern Speckled Rattlesnake stand out against its red and grey body. This is a typical look for the species as they are found in rocky areas of central Phoenix. This snake carries a small passive radio transmitter that helps us learn about its life in an urban park.
Blacktailed Rattlesnake At Night
A Blacktailed Rattlesnake we found on a late night hike of a canyon near Phoenix, Arizona. These are common snakes in mountainous regions, often seen by hikers. During the summer in desert areas, they are often most often nocturnal, usually encountered around sunup and just after dark. This one, fortunately, lives far from where people may come across it on accident.
Blacktailed Rattlesnake in a Canyon Near Phoenix
A Blacktailed Rattlesnake was seen on a late-night hike near Phoenix, Arizona. These snakes are found in any of the regional parks around Phoenix and Tucson. Interestingly, they are missing, however, from the mountains of central Phoenix, with no records that indicate they were ever there.
Southwestern Speckled Rattlesnake Extreme Camouflage
A Southwestern Speckled Rattlesnake making it difficult to tell where snake ends and rock begins.
Speckled Rattlesnake In Central Phoenix
A Southwestern Speckled Rattlesnake as they typically appear around Camelback Mountain in central Phoenix. It’s a surprise to many that multiple species of rattlesnakes are still present within a heavily populated urban area, but they continue to thrive there. Excessive heat from a surrounding sea of pavement makes life difficult in the summer, however, which often leads to encounters at adjacent homes with rattlesnakes looking to cool off in the lawns and citrus oasis of Paradise Valley.
Speckled Rattlesnake In Perfect Ambush
A Southwestern Speckled Rattlesnake looking just like a chunk of granite, fallen off the overhead outcrop. As the sun gets lower in the sky, a variety of rodents, birds, and lizards do what they do in surrounding bushes and rocks, oblivious to the invisible predator. To hikers on the mountain, they’re often just as cryptic, remaining hidden as hundreds of feet pass by every Saturday on popular trails.
Tiger Rattlesnake In The Early Morning
A Tiger Rattlesnake from the Phoenix area. These snakes are common in the right conditions, but rarely seen by hikers. One reason: they tend to be more nocturnal than similar species. While they can certainly be found in the daytime, they’re often the first to head in for the day. This one had been out all night near its aestivation den in the hottest time of summer.
Southwestern Speckled Rattlesnake in Orange Form
Southwestern Speckled Rattlesnake on the move late at night in Phoenix. These snakes are the most commonly encountered snake on many trails in the area. For the reasons you can see here, and others, these snakes are quite often misidentified as Tiger Rattlesnakes when people see them. At popular trails like Piestewa (not where this one was), they’re seen about every night, even on very busy paths. But, contrary to how people often think of rattlesnakes: bites are nearly unheard of in those situations.
