This guide is a Phoenix metro resident’s go-to for identifying snakes in everyday places: your backyard, a trail, or even indoors. It gets right to the point: What is it? Is it dangerous? What should be done … or can I just ignore it? This isn’t your average field guide, drawing on data from thousands […]

Rattlesnakes, like all terrestrial snakes, can and do climb! It’s not uncommon for a rattlesnake to be found in a bush, tree, up in rocks, or any number of surprising places. This is a very different situation than a rattlesnake climbing straight up a relatively smooth surface. A common misconception, fueled by a combination of […]

In Arizona, there’s a common snake that people routinely see in their backyards, gardens, and garages. It’s amazingly colored: bright red! When seen, the born n’ raised locals all happily chime in “red racer!” and discuss how many they played with as a kid. If it’s under 10″, then it’s a baby red racer, and […]

Temperatures are finally coming down and the air in the morning has just a little bit of cool. And, being from Arizona, we’re all pretty excited about that. Not just people but wildlife as well, including rattlesnakes. We are about to enter one of the periods with the most random rattlesnake encounters. Here’s a summary […]

It’s egg season. But rattlesnake eggs? Never. We get a good number of calls and inquiries about rattlesnake eggs in the backyard, but we can tell you right now: the eggs you see are not from a rattlesnake. How can we be so sure? Rattlesnakes don’t lay eggs! They give live birth in the late […]

This post isn’t exciting, but it is necessary. We are so happy that the tides seem to be changing on the topic of rattlesnakes. The old ways of killing them are being replaced with smarter practices. Short-distance relocation and prevention, like snake fence installation and habitat reduction, are becoming the norm. Not only are these […]

Many of you may have seen the recent story of a rare fatal bite from a Gila Monster. Here’s what you should know about that as an Arizona residents who live and recreate where these animals live. You do not need to worry about Gila Monsters beyond the typical warnings to not pick them up, […]

As rattlesnakes start to show up on the surface again this year, a few things are predictable. Some hikers and homeowners will report rattlesnake sightings, complete with photos of usually-sleeping snakes, with various warnings and declarations about warm winters and misreads on words like ‘brumation’. So we’ll state plainly and to the point: rattlesnakes are […]

It’s that time of year when every rattlesnake sighting prompts the question: when will rattlesnakes disappear for the winter? It’s a topic that causes some confusion with many people who believe that reptiles only want heat, and as soon as it starts to cool, they disappear entirely. But like many things with animals, the reality […]

Each day in July, 2023 has been above 110˚F with no end in sight. What do the rattlesnakes do? A common misconception is that reptiles love the sun – the hotter, the better, right? Well, not quite. Like all reptiles, rattlesnakes are ectotherms and get their heat from the environment. But that doesn’t mean they […]