These homeowners were already familiar with the routine of “babysitting” a rattlesnake while waiting for our arrival. This Western Diamondback Rattlesnake had first been spotted by neighbors crossing the road before eventually bedding down in the lantana ground cover directly beside the front door of their Cave Creek home.
This marked the third rattlesnake call from this property within the past year, which is not entirely surprising considering the home sits on a corner lot bordering one of the last small fragments of remaining desert habitat surrounded by expanding gated communities.
Interestingly, this snake had an enormous rattle that seemed to go on forever, yet it never made a single sound during the sighting or relocation process. Alivia noted the rattlesnake had an exceptionally calm and unreactive demeanor overall.
To give the snake a better setup away from homes, Alivia relocated it to a very large active packrat nest farther from nearby buildings where it would have access to both shelter and a reliable food source within its estimated home range.
