A Western Diamondback Rattlesnake was found hanging out in a garage in Laveen as the homeowner was preparing to have junk hauled off the next day. With very little surrounding habitat in the immediate area, it was a bit surprising to see one here. When Austin arrived, he safely removed the snake and relocated it to a nearby preserve, placing it into a small cave along a drainage within its estimated home range.
What a great day for a stroll in the cool grass! A 2nd rattlesnake visitor, in about as many days, to a local community center that sits across the street from a mountain range. It was a displeasure to ruin his sunbathing in the grass but he needed a better place to hang.
– Jon
This Gophersnake gave the homeowners the runaround before disappearing beneath a pile of pavers in the yard. After moving almost every single one, I finally found the snake curled up in a hole underneath the stack. The yard did have snake fencing installed, but it wasn’t done by us. While looking things over, I pointed out that a snake could easily get underneath the side gate, and the homeowner mentioned she was interested in having the fencing redone. – Cheyenne
The homeowner was on her back patio picking up a cover for her patio furniture when she noticed a snake underneath. She quickly dropped the cover and went inside, unsure what kind of snake it was. When we arrived, the snake was still right next to the cover and turned out to be a baby Western Diamondback rattlesnake. The yard itself was very clean with few places for a snake to hide, but there is a large area of desert habitat directly across the street, which likely explains how it ended up passing through the property. North Phoenix.
Sometimes they just relocate themselves. Marissa got this one recently and he was really ready to get to cover after its first (hopefully) car ride in its life.
Josh found this little Smith’s Blackheaded Snake while working on a Rattlesnake Fence near Tucson the other day. This isn’t a baby – they’re tiny animals, which eat even tinier ones (invertebrates). They’re entirely harmless, and the snake was just moved to suitable habitat out of the way so it wouldn’t get injured while the installation progressed.
Young Mojave Rattlesnake found by a homeowner in Gilbert. She said her kids were jumping on the trampoline when they heard the sound of a rattle, and then were able to spot the snake underneath. Hard to say when exactly this snake arrived here, could have been there all winter or could have found its way in here more recently. Either way its good that it was seen because I dont think it was able to get out on its own. Took it to the desert and relocated it into a large rodent hole at the base of a pale verde tree, where it will have a much better chance of living a long, happy life.
!!!BONUS CAT!!!
– Austin
A homeowner in Scottsdale was getting a house ready to sell when the painter mentioned seeing two rattlesnakes in the garage a few hours earlier. When we arrived, we found one neonate Western Diamondback tucked under a cone and the other hiding in the back of a utility closet, both inside the garage.
The garage door had decent gaps in the corners even when shut, which is all a small rattlesnake needs to slip inside and use the space as shelter. This community has a lot of natural desert right next to the homes and wide strips of desert between properties, so encounters like this are not surprising.
Both neonates were safely captured and relocated into nearby desert habitat with natural cover, away from the garage and walkways but still within the same general area they came from.
A homeowner in Scottsdale was walking past the pool when he noticed a neonate Western Diamondback floating near the skimmer. Fortunately, the snake was alive, just cold and sluggish.
It is not unusual for rattlesnakes to come to a pool to get a drink and accidentally slip in, especially in dry neighborhoods with limited water. This backyard did not have much deep cover, and the narrow strips of desert between homes are not great winter habitat.
After a quick check, we relocated this little rattlesnake to a nearby desert spot with proper rock and plant cover so it can hunker down for the rest of the season. For anyone with a pool, we always recommend installing a product like a Critter Ramp so animals that fall in have a way to climb out.
A homeowner in Cave Creek was doing yard work when he spotted a rattlesnake coiled by his yucca. He tried to push it out of the yard, but it ended up sitting in the road, so he set a bucket near it to steer cars away and called for relocation instead of leaving it to get hit.
When we arrived, the snake was coiled under a plant right by the garage, which had gaps along the bottom. Based on the warm day and how it was tucked in, it was likely spending the winter in the garage and just stepped out to enjoy the nice weather. With state trust land right across the street, we were able to move it into suitable desert habitat where it can stay out of trouble and away from the garage.
