A teacher doing a morning check of a preschool playground in Ahwatukee spotted a baby rattlesnake coiled on the artificial turf. They weren’t able to keep eyes on it, and by the time Marissa arrived, the tiny snake had disappeared.
She searched under everything and worked through the entire playground without finding it. Eventually, she noticed a small space where the turf met the corner of the building. Lifting the turf revealed a tiny hole underneath.
Marissa poured some water into the hole, and out came the neonate rattlesnake. During the search she also found a baby Chuckwalla hiding around the playground.
There’s a small patch of desert directly behind the school and considerably more habitat across the street, so even though the playground looks isolated from the desert, wildlife doesn’t necessarily see it that way.
