This Rattlesnake Found ExaHorse properties are a common place for rattlesnake calls. They are usually located near open desert, livestock feed attracts rodents, and there are often plenty of holes and covered areas for rattlesnakes to use. This rattlesnake was found on the property shortly after eating a rodent. It’s a simple example of why rattlesnakes are regularly found around horse properties: food, shelter, and easy access to nearby habitat.
A homeowner in Ahwatukee was heading out to walk her dog when she stepped through the front door and noticed this Southwestern Speckled Rattlesnake coiled quietly in the corner.
The home sits right next to a large drainage ditch that extends up the rocky mountainside of South Mountain, providing a natural travel corridor for wildlife moving between the mountain and the surrounding neighborhood.
Marissa arrived to relocate the unexpected front-door visitor.
It’s baby rattlesnake season in Arizona. With the summer rains and more suitable conditions, female rattlesnakes are finding cool, shaded places to have their babies. Mothers will often remain with their young until the babies have their first shed, after which they begin to disperse. Once that happens, the babies can head in just about any direction. Near neighborhoods and development, that often means some of them end up in yards, patios, garages, and other areas around homes. Our crew has been responding to calls involving mothers still with their babies, as well as individual babies that have already dispersed and found their way onto properties. Baby rattlesnakes also come with plenty of myths and misconceptions. Understanding what they actually do, why so many begin showing up this time of year, and how to respond when one turns up around a home can make baby season a lot easier to navigate safely.
This patio has had its last rattlesnake visitor. Some of these situations can be challenging to solve, but our highly experienced crew got it done.
More information on Rattlesnake Fencing:
https://rattlesnakesolutions.com/keep-snakes-away/snake-fence.php?p=social
Our fastest-growing service are recurring property inspections at large properties and communities. We’ve been doing this for awhile for an HOA in Scottsdale. Here are some notes from the latest session:
The south side of the community closely borders a wash area that is overgrown with brush, and the overgrowth is creeping its way up the hill close to the backside of the homes where the A/C unit condensation drains and the Community Trash Area are located.
I first found this shed skin belonging to an adolescent coachwhip heading from the holes back to the wash, likely after getting a drink from the A/C drains.
A few feet later, I found this Western Diamondback Rattlesnake heading back into the wash after likely doing the same thing!
I recommended that the property management cut the brush between the community and the wash as much as possible, with emphasis on the community trash area, as the brush cover makes it safer for wildlife like rattlesnakes to venture closer to the community.
The rattlesnake was released away from the community in a pile of brush under a tree, following our standard relocation protocol.
For more information on our Property Inspection service: https://rattlesnakesolutions.com/keep-snakes-away/rattlesnake-prevention.php
Another rattlesnake fence project completed, with some precision work from Brent, Mark and Michael. This patio is now a lot less stressful in the summer for the homeowners.
More information on Rattlesnake Fencing:
https://rattlesnakesolutions.com/keep-snakes-away/snake-fence.php?p=social
These homeowners were already familiar with the routine of “babysitting” a rattlesnake while waiting for our arrival. This Western Diamondback Rattlesnake had first been spotted by neighbors crossing the road before eventually bedding down in the lantana ground cover directly beside the front door of their Cave Creek home.
This marked the third rattlesnake call from this property within the past year, which is not entirely surprising considering the home sits on a corner lot bordering one of the last small fragments of remaining desert habitat surrounded by expanding gated communities.
Interestingly, this snake had an enormous rattle that seemed to go on forever, yet it never made a single sound during the sighting or relocation process. Alivia noted the rattlesnake had an exceptionally calm and unreactive demeanor overall.
To give the snake a better setup away from homes, Alivia relocated it to a very large active packrat nest farther from nearby buildings where it would have access to both shelter and a reliable food source within its estimated home range.
This time of year in Arizona, one of the most common things we hear is that rattlesnakes “love the heat.” The reality is a little different. Like anything else out here, rattlesnakes have to deal with extreme temperatures too, and once it gets too hot, they adjust their behavior to stay out of it.
Marissa responds to a home with two rattlesnakes tucked in beside pool equipment. Jeff heads out after dark for a large western diamondback in a flower box in a neighborhood surrounded by new development. Down in Tucson, Josh is called to a backyard for a rattlesnake and ends up finding another one unexpectedly on the way.
It’s hard to see, but this backyard is ready for its first rattlesnake-free summer.
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.
