A Southwestern Speckled Rattlesnake in ambush on a humid night a couple of years back. Like many other desert reptiles, the monsoon and period after are the most active times of year. Humid air and cooler, stable temperatures make for safer activity, and a lot has to be done in a relatively short amount of time.
Southwestern Speckled Rattlesnake (Crotalus pyrrhus)
A Southwestern Speckled Rattlesnake hanging out in the shade on a blistering hot morning several years ago. This snake is still using this spot in the summer, staying cooler during the day and emerging at night, staying very near.
This is why, when we are called to capture a snake at a home during peak summer, we search for others. Especially without rain, they’re tethered to aestivation sites, never going far. If a rattlesnake is found on the back patio right now, there are only a few possibilities. It was either displaced by construction, tossed over the fence by the fire department, or it has been there for several weeks, successfully hiding as it always has before being discovered.
A Southwestern Speckled Rattlesnake resting in the shade outside its summer aestivation den. It’s one of a handful that gather here each year to hide from the heat and gestate.
A Southwestern Speckled Rattlesnake from a mountain range in western Arizona. This is one of a couple seen on a sunrise hike on what would be a very hot day. It was spotted crossing a wash from a sandy rise in the center, where it had likely spent the night in ambush. As temperatures approached 100˚F at around 7am, this snake needed to get to deep cover, and it knew right where to go.
