This stunner of a Mojave Rattlesnake was found in the backyard between flower pots at a home in Florence. The homeowner went to let the dogs out and heard a rattle (everyone’s fine). Austin returned the snake to natural desert and released it directly into a rodent burrow at the base of a creosote mound.
A homeowner was out feeding the horses when she saw this Western Diamondback Rattlesnake in front of the barn. By the time Jeff arrived, the snake had moved to take shelter under a cart. The property was wide open to the natural desert, so there will always be the occasional visitor.
Bonus: toad.
On the day this was filmed, I posted our daily rattlesnake activity forecast — something we’ve developed from years of data and thousands of rattlesnake relocations across Arizona.
After posting it, a few people online called it a scam. So I grabbed my gear and went out to see if the forecast was right. In this video, I walk through how we make these predictions, where we get our information, and what it means for anyone living or hiking in rattlesnake habitat.
No gimmicks. Just real-world results and what we actually see out there.
You can check that out here:
Boo! A common spot for a Western Diamondback Rattlesnake to hang out. Rattlesnakes don’t love the front door area, but they are noticed there more often than other places simply because we use the door so much. When there’s nowhere to hide, it’s an obvious sight.
This Blacktailed Rattlesnake was found in a shady spot at a home in Yavapai Hills, Arizona. The homeowner had just started to walk up the spiral stairs when she spotted the visitor. Dane helped the snake get up the hill to a suitable release site.
While visiting family out of town, Jeff took a morning to look for sidewinder rattlesnakes. The weather wasn’t ideal, but he headed out anyway to see what he could find and learn along the way.
He followed tracks in the sand from different desert animals, hoping to find the distinctive trail of a sidewinder. Along the way, he talks about the natural history of sidewinders, why they move the way they do, and how development in the area is impacting their habitat.
From September: A homeowner called with rattlesnake in backyard. When Maggie arrived, she found this teeny tiny western diamondback curled up next to the gutter. It likely came into the yard from the wash behind the house, looking for the abundant water pooling from the storm and drip systems. She was able to relocate this little one into a packrat nest in a highly vegetated wash nearby.
A 2am call came in for a Western Diamondback Rattlesnake in a Scottsdale backyard. The homeowner woke up to let the dogs out, and wisely turned on the light first to take a look. He immediately saw the snake, thankfully. When Austin arrived shortly after to capture it, he found the snake coiled up under a pot. While inspecting the property for others, he found a Desert Nightsnake cruising around elsewhere. Both snakes were relocated to a suitable spot for the season within their estimated home range.
Believe it or not, we hear it all of the time – there are actually people who do not actually believe rattlesnakes are animals.
In this episode, Marissa and I respond to two calls for mother rattlesnakes. Marissa handles a litter that ended up inside a control box at a landfill, and I work with a mother rattlesnake that had a litter of babies in my care. We also talk about a question that comes up often—why do so many people not see rattlesnakes as animals? Why is the first reaction so often to kill them?
A little Mojave Rattlesnake that got an unexpected spray from a hose before it was noticed. It was near a home at the base of Mingus Mountain in Prescott Valley, and relocated to suitable habitat.
