Past due: Baby rattlesnakes are finally joining us

Better late than never – rattlesnakes are giving birth, even without the rain. One of the services we offer are serial property inspections, to continuously monitor properties to evaluate possible rattlesnake activity and provide recommendations to landscapers, pest control, and property managers.

We have been inspecting this particular property for many years, and this is the most interesting thing found there to date.

On the previous inspection, Greyson noted a shed skin in an area at the edge of the property. Knowing a fresh shed during this hot and dry period could indicate an estivation den nearby, he focused on that spot during his visit yesterday, and, whoa.

This mother rattlesnake gave birth to babies after being captured at a home in Phoenix.

Here is what was found: a late-season estivation den with a mixed bag of Western Diamondback Rattlesnakes, with one having given birth in the recent past, and another in a deep blue phase (preparing to shed skin)

While this is not entirely unusual, what is different about this year is that we are seeing that rattlesnakes are having their babies later than usual, and they are doing so in their estivation dens instead of moving to their usually-preferred birthing spots.

This is likely a response to our exceptionally hot (the hottest on record) summer and near-complete lack of rain. This is similar to a recent visit to a home by Dave in Tucson (I’ll be posting this shortly as well) where he captured a total of 14 rattlesnakes.

Are rattlesnakes giving birth later this year than normal?

According to our observations and activity on the relocation hotline: yes, it appears that rattlesnakes are having babies later this year than usual. In a normal year, we start to receive our first calls to capture groups of mother Western Diamondback Rattlesnakes with their newborn babies in early July, usually hitting its peak around the first week of August, then trickling in here or there until around the first week of September. This year, it took much longer for this to be normal, only now (mid-August) has it become routine.

Rattlesnakes give live birth and hang out with the babies for a period of time afterward.

Likewise, rattlesnakes seen in informal surveys and in our study of rattlesnakes in the Phoenix Mountain Preserve have shown that Western Diamondback Rattlesnake and Tiger Rattlesnakes that would have likely given birth by now are still languishing in a gravid (pregnant) state at estivation dens.

While this is in no way a full representation of what’s happening out there, but does represent 10 years of data collection and informal survey observations. It should also be noted that while this is the case in the Phoenix and Tucson areas, it is unlikely to represent behavior in other regions.

Why are baby rattlesnakes being born later this year than usual?

The most notable difference of this year from previous years is the combination of extreme, prolonged heat and a nearly-complete lack of meaningful rain. It has been documented that the birth time of Western Diamondback Rattlesnakes coincide with the onset of the monsoon rain (G. Schuett et all 2013).

This year makes that a little bit tougher than normal. If monsoon rain triggers pregnant rattlesnakes to give birth, what happens when there is no rain at all?

They have to give birth eventually … so what we are seeing is this: The mother rattlesnakes are staying at estivation sites (spots selected to hide away during the hottest summer months) far longer than they normally would. Rather than moving to a birthing site as they normally would, they are having their babies right in place.

This likely isn’t good for the babies, ultimately and unfortunately. They lose moisture more than twice as quickly as adults (J. Agugliaro, H. Reinert 2005). Unless we get some rain soon, that could be big trouble for this year’s babies. We’re hoping for the best, but looking at the forecast … hoping is all there is to do.

How homeowners can keep baby rattlesnakes out of the yard

Keeping the smallest rattlesnakes out of your area is a bit different than the larger ones.

First, the space they need to get in is much smaller … anything more than about a third of an inch can allow access. Second, they make frequent movements and may not necessarily know where they’re going. Unlike adults, who’ve had a lifetime to map out a homerange, babies may show up any place, any time. For that reason, physical barriers are the best bet. Rather than go too far into detail here, I’ll refer you to our guide to keep baby rattlesnakes out of the yard.

References

Schuett, G.W., Repp, R.A., Hoss, S.K. and Herrmann, H.‐W. (2013), Parturition in a Desert Rattlesnake. Biol J Linn Soc Lond, 110: 866-877. doi:10.1111/bij.12166

Agugliaro J, Reinert HK. Comparative skin permeability of neonatal and adult timber rattlesnakes (Crotalus horridus). Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol. 2005;141(1):70-75. doi:10.1016/j.cbpb.2005.04.002

How to keep baby rattlesnakes out of the yard

Recent changes in ambient humidity has triggered the start of baby rattlesnake season! Across the state, mama rattlesnakes are tucked away in shaded, damp areas to give birth to babies (they do not lay eggs as is commonly believed). After spending some quality time with mom, the babies are all set to head out into the big world to figure out how to be a rattlesnake.

The behavior that often brings rattlesnakes into an area is a little different for these new little guys, and as a homeowner you should know what you can do to keep baby rattlesnakes away.

This means two big things for homeowners who wish to keep baby rattlesnakes away. First, baby rattlesnakes can show up at any place, any time, without a reason. Second, it becomes even more important to reduce access and opportunities for rattlesnakes in general.

First, let’s learn a bit about baby rattlesnakes. Here’s a Q&A session we did last year that should cover the basics. This post is all about what homeowners can do to prevent baby rattlesnakes from showing up on the patio, however, so we’ll rely on our previous work to talk about how cute they are:

Baby rattlesnake questions and answers

Baby rattlesnakes are wanderers

We often discuss the behavior of rattlesnakes that brings them into yards. Things like moisture-rich pool equipment areas or an unsealed garage (aka, cool cave) are often taken advantage of by rattlesnakes for the opportunities they provide.

Baby rattlesnakes, on the other hand, have no such experience. After they leave their mother (a week or so after being born), their instinct is to wander wide and far searching for what will eventually be its lifelong home range.

As they kick the tires of life, they’re making frequent movements. They will need to eat, find reliable places to get water, and map a variety of spots to stay during different times of year. As babies, however, they have no idea where these things are, so they have to find them.

That means that you can easily find baby rattlesnakes in places where there are no real reasons for them to be there. We often find them in busy parking lots, sidewalks, and shopping centers. At homes, they can be anywhere, often ducking into temporary cover situations regardless of if they can truly survive there or not.

This can also present some challenges with the typical prevention methods because baby rattlesnakes are small. How small? Our testing has shown that any space as small as a third of an inch in diameter can allow entry of baby rattlesnakes:

What you can do about it to keep baby rattlesnakes away:

  1. Keep cover situation, even stuff you plan on throwing away the next day, up off the ground and to a minimum. This includes pool toys, shoes,temporary construction debris, and that stack of Amazon boxes.
  2. Create a barrier to keep wandering baby rattlesnakes out of the yard entirely.
  3. Double up on landscaping efforts to make sure as few shaded and cool areas as possible are available.
  4. If you have rattlesnake fencing installed or are thinking about getting it, make sure that it is done in such a way that it keeps baby rattlesnakes out as well.
Baby rattlesnakes are really cute, though maybe not so much in your slippers at 2am.

Baby rattlesnakes are making a map

As these little newborn rattlesnakes wander around the world searching for all the stuff that makes a rattlesnake happy, it’s not without purpose. Each time they get it right, whether it succeeding in finding food, water, or a spot to hide away, they’re taking note.

Just like you do when you’re on vacation and remember good and convenient spots to get food, coffee, and wifi, baby rattlesnakes are in the map making business. This is why it’s more important now than ever to take action to make your yard less attractive to rattlesnakes. If you’re providing a resource, you may have a repeat guest for life.

This mother rattlesnake and her babies were collected from a house in Phoenix

What you can do to keep baby rattlesnakes from adding your yard to favorites:

  1. Remove as many attracting features as possible. Start with the easy stuff you can do in just a few hours, then move on to larger and more complicated items.
  2. Cut bushes back from walls and use a garden hose to flood any rodent burrows you find, especially near the house.
  3. Contact a garage door company and make sure the seal at the base of your garage door is sealed up.
  4. Have a professional rattlesnake prevention specialist come inspect the property to find signs of baby rattlesnakes and identify attracting features.
  5. Avoid using snake repellents (they don’t work and give false peace of mind)

Above all else, be mindful and keep your eyes open

The random nature of encounters when it comes to baby rattlesnakes mean that every homeowner, hiker, or visitor to places where rattlesnakes can be found should be paying attention.

Baby rattlesnakes are born with a single rattle segment. That’s cute, but it won’t make a sound until its second shed skin, several weeks after it is born. It may try and rattle anyway, but you won’t hear it. That means the courtesy buzz that tells you when you’re getting too close is off the table. You’ll have to rely on your other senses to keep you safe.

This does not mean you should be fearful, thankfully. All it takes is to go back to basics of rattlesnake safety:

  1. Always wear shoes when going outside at night, even to take out the trash or get something you left in the car.
  2. Keep a charged flashlight near all exits. Never walk around after dark without it.
  3. Talk to your kids and visitors just to make sure we’re all on the same page 🙂
  4. Consider having your dog trained to avoid rattlesnakes.
  5. Keep your shoes inside.
  6. If you’re camping or hiking, keep your stuff up off the ground or in the tent whenever possible. Bring some slip on shoes for those midnight walks to the bushes.

Baby rattlesnakes should be considered, but not feared.

Though this isn’t the point of this post, it should always be mentioned that baby rattlesnakes are not more dangerous than adults, contrary to popular belief. Various myths, like that they don’t know how to control their venom or are extra aggressive, have been debunked over and over again. You’ll still keep hearing them, however, because these myths are beloved parts of our culture. A relatively new bit of rattlesnake BS is that they love to breed in pool noodles (not true, FYI). But don’t worry; put those myths on the shelf alongside your neighbor’s bigfoot sighting and your aunt’s miracle diet claims.

We’ll leave you with some articles that can help you keep rattlesnakes away and be more informed. Don’t worry about baby rattlesnakes, but be aware! A few changes to your day to day can keep everyone safe.

Keeping baby rattlesnakes where they should be is a matter of preparation.