As winter approaches in Arizona, the calls we get start to change. In this episode, Marissa and I show what late-fall rattlesnake relocations actually look like. Most of the snakes we’re finding now are getting ready to hibernate or are already settled in — hiding in debris piles, garages, sheds, sprinkler boxes, and patios.
I talk about why winter relocations have to be done carefully, how we pick safe release sites, and why the idea that relocation “kills rattlesnakes” isn’t true when it’s done correctly.
And while releasing one snake at night, I run into a wild rattlesnake heading toward its den — a perfect look at how they naturally move this time of year.
