This nicely speckled Western Diamondback Rattlesnake was found right near a front door at a home in North Mesa, discovered as a guest was leaving after dinner. Austin arrived to find it settled in and comfortable in a spot that sees a lot of foot traffic. While there are small pockets of usable habitat nearby, it’s not an area where a snake has the best odds without running into people. He safely removed it and relocated it to a patch of undeveloped desert, releasing it into a large packrat nest within its estimated home range.
Some great examples of our snake fence team at work.
While arriving for an install, Josh conducted a thorough pre-inspection and found a Western Diamondback Rattlesnake sitting in ambush near the fence line. He safely secured it in a bucket, gave it some water, and kept it in the shade until the job was complete. Afterward, he released it into a nearby wash with a deep cave that provided suitable cover within its estimated home range. Later that day, Mike came across a California Kingsnake cruising along the newly installed mesh from the outside. To prevent it from getting trapped during the second day of work, Josh relocated it to a nearby area with a partially buried board and active rodent sign. Before release, he removed a cholla spine from its lower jaw, hopefully relieving some discomfort, and placed it back into suitable habitat within its estimated home range.
While doing some spring cleaning in her Cave Creek garage, the homeowner realized she had been under observation. This Western Diamondback Rattlesnake had stayed perfectly still on a shelf, letting her walk past multiple times over the course of an hour without giving away its position. When Jason arrived, he carefully removed it from the shelf, and it reluctantly cooperated. He then released it to a large packrat nest nearby, within its estimated home range.
This little Western Diamondback Rattlesnake was found resting in the shade along the side of a home in New River. The homeowner mentioned he may have seen the same snake in the driveway the night before, and had also found a fresh shed in the garage. When Jason arrived, he was able to safely remove the snake from the property. With the home sitting right on the edge of a newer development bordering the New River wash and native desert, he released it into suitable habitat within its estimated home range.
This Western Diamondback Rattlesnake from the south valley was already secured in a bucket when Austin arrived, and it was clearly over the whole ordeal by that point. He transported it to a nearby release site and placed it into a large packrat nest tucked into a creosote bush, shaded by a larger palo verde, within its estimated home range.
For these homeowners, this was their first rattlesnake in over 25 years, which is pretty surprising considering their property backs straight to the desert with a low view fence. Jon found this healthy looking Western Diamondback Rattlesnake calmly cruising across the back patio after it was spotted. He safely removed it and released it to a beautifully constructed packrat nest within its estimated home range in the surrounding desert.
This beautiful Sonoran Gophersnake was spotted near pool equipment after entering a section of PVC. By the time Jon got eyes on it, the snake was fully committed to the pipe, which made for a bit of a challenge. After some trial and error, he was able to coax it out one end and get it safely contained. The snake was then relocated to suitable habitat and released within its estimated home range.
Another unwelcome visitor turned up at a local community center in North Phoenix. By the time Jon arrived, the snake had already moved from a side entry door into an agave, where he was able to carefully remove it. He then released it to a packrat nest atop a rock pile on the adjacent mountain, placing it into suitable cover within its estimated home range.
The homeowners called the hotline right after a food delivery, when the driver warned them there was a “rattlesnake” sitting behind a decoration by their front door. With how close it was to the entryway, they didn’t want to risk checking themselves and called us right away.
When Alivia arrived, she went straight to the front door where it was last seen and was met with a much calmer surprise. A young adult Kingsnake was stretched perfectly across the doorstep, head tilted upward. As she picked it up and secured it in the bucket, she started hearing faint chirping that didn’t quite make sense at first.
After knocking, the homeowners pointed out a nest of baby birds tucked into their front door wreath. They mentioned this was the second year the same spot had been used successfully. At that point, it became clear the Kingsnake wasn’t there by accident, it was looking up at a very convenient meal that had basically been door dashed to it.
The home sits at the end of a small community surrounded by open desert and agricultural land, making encounters like this more likely. The Kingsnake was relocated away from any structures and released to a packrat nest within its estimated home range, where it can find a more appropriate meal.
