This young Western Diamondback Rattlesnake stood out a bit too well against the bougainvillea litter on the patio of a Phoenix home. There was nothing especially unusual about the call itself, but the relocation took a little extra effort. CJ had to hike the snake about a mile into the preserve to legally access a release area that was only about 150 yards from where the snake was originally found, avoiding private property along the way.
At the bottom of a sandy wash, he found a deep cave with plenty of cover from nearby Palo Verde trees, making for an ideal release site within the snake’s estimated home range. As an added bonus, the hike included an encounter with a few bees, always part of the adventure in the Arizona desert.
