A Gila Monster was found near a home and wasn’t going anywhere for the day. To keep it safe from dogs (and the dogs as well), it was relocated to a carefully selected location. Gila Monsters do not relocate well, so extra care was taken to make sure it was placed into the perfect spot within its estimated home range.
A defensive Western Diamondback Rattlesnake in Scottsdale. This guy didn’t stop rattling from the moment CJ stepped into the backyard until the time he was released.
The property sat at the base of a boulder-strewn hill that was all private land, so CJ took the snake a bit farther to suitable public habitat.
He released it into deep cover among granite boulders within its estimated home range, in an area with clear signs of recent rodent activity.
A rare snake for us to get on a call, this Sonoran Sidewinder was curled up in the only shaded part of the yard this afternoon in Casa Grande. With temperatures in the low 100s, this snake had little choice but to stay put and wait until after sunset to make any moves.
The homeowner mentioned her neighbors thought they had seen the same snake in their yard the night before but lost sight of it, so hopefully this was the right one.
Austin relocated the snake to suitable habitat within its estimated home range, placing it into a rodent hole at the base of a large bush.
From Jon: This beauty found its way into a cool garage, likely from the door being left open for a short time. The homeowner initially spotted just the tail sticking out from under one of the cars and was able to keep an eye on it as it moved to another area of the garage.
It was safely relocated to suitable habitat within its estimated home range, placed under cover of a large tree with a packrat nest at the base.
First call of the year for CJ was hard to get a photo of in situ. The caller spotted this Western Diamondback Rattlesnake poking around their neighbor’s porch before it settled into the eave of the house behind an aloe.
A classic case of the home being the closest structure to an open wash.
The area was heavily developed, so CJ took the snake farther than preferred to suitable public land. He found an active rodent nest atop a sandy terrace of a wash, shaded by creosote and Lycium, and released it there. Cave Creek.
From Jason: I arrived in the late evening to a call to a parking lot in North Phoenix. On the sidewalk next to a busy street, I found an overturned bucket weighed down with a very heavy rock and an ominous sign taped to it. I was warned that a “very good sized snake” was waiting for me just beneath.
I prepared for something truly massive, but what I found was slightly less remarkable… a younger Western Diamondback Rattlesnake.
While the area itself is a concrete jungle, it’s full of lush, dense landscaping that provides plenty of places for a now street-smart snake to spend its first winter.
I was able to find a packrat nest in what remains of the nearby native desert, and because of the caring individuals who made the call, this snake just might one day become “a good size.”
A pair of Tiger Whiptails were found in a gluetrap and mistaken as snakes. Austin was able to very carefully free them from the trap to release them in a safer spot. These harmless lizards eat a variety of invertebrates, and would remove many more of the intended target than the trap ever would, so the net return on these kinds of traps is not people might expect.
Well, that’s not good. A homeowner was working from her office when she spotted this adult Western Diamondback Rattlesnake inside. She mentioned seeing a snake in her garage the day before and assumed it was likely the same one. Typically, indoor calls like this turn out to be Night Snakes or Gophersnakes, so finding an adult Western Diamondback Rattlesnake inside was a surprise.
Jeff relocated the snake to suitable habitat within its estimated home range, placing it into a packrat nest surrounded by bushes and a lone mesquite tree.
An Ahwatukee homeowner called about this large Western Diamondback Rattlesnake slithering along his backyard wall. By the time Austin arrived, the snake had retreated into a corner.
The home backs right up to South Mountain, with plenty of surrounding habitat, so it’s no surprise this guy was in the area.
Austin hiked the snake into the preserve and released it to a rock pile within its estimated home range near the base of a hill, with a large drainage below so the snake can continue its springtime activities.
A homeowner in Fountain Hills called about this Western Diamondback Rattlesnake in her backyard. She went to let the dogs out, and luckily, the snake rattled and was far enough from the door that no one was bitten when they came outside.
Austin arrived and safely relocated the snake to a wash within its estimated home range, placing it into deep cover inside a packrat nest under a large tree.
