Springtime is when most rattlesnakes have one thing on their minds—reproducing. Lately, many of our calls have involved snakes that are courting, breeding, or males engaged in combat. In this video, Marissa responds to a call where this behavior was unfolding right on a homeowner’s front patio. Afterwards, a Sonoran Gophersnake was found in a front yard in Ahwatukee.
Only got a couple pictures of this beautiful Western Diamondback Rattlesnake that the homeowner’s son was keeping under control from a distance using a tree support pole. He mentioned he had some experience removing snakes while working on a golf course, but didn’t have the proper tools for something like this. The homeowner said she had heard the snake rattling earlier but wasn’t able to see it at the time. The home backs up to a wash and the yard has plenty of ground cover and water, which can make it attractive to all kinds of desert wildlife. When Jon arrived, the snake was still being kept at a safe distance and he was able to secure it without issue. Jon then released the snake in the closest available habitat, though much of the surrounding area has become highly developed and construction is ongoing in the few remaining pieces of open land.
Marissa responds to a call that doesn’t happen every day—two rattlesnakes mating inside a homeowner’s garage. This time of year, reproduction becomes a top priority, and snakes will travel, take risks, and end up in some unexpected places to find each other.
Later, another “two snake” call comes in—but with a twist. One is a rattlesnake, the other turns out to be a Sonoran gophersnake tucked beneath an AC unit. These spots are more than just convenient hiding places—shaded, cool, and often undermined by rodent burrows, they create the perfect microhabitat for snakes trying to escape the desert heat.
This beautiful Western Diamondback decided to take advantage of the wonderful cover found inside an open garage. The homeowner had left the garage open for several hours today and was alerted to the snake’s presence by the rattle.
The snake remained in place whilst the homeowner and her “backup” neighbors kept a close eye.
Fortunately, the snake was given a proper release in a nearby wash above the waterline
Here’s a collection of our recent snake removal jobs in the Phoenix and Tucson areas.
This caller initially saw a Western Diamondback Rattlesnake in their garage, and while looking for it found the gophersnake in the glue trap. He wasn’t convinced it was the snake he’d seen, so I looked, and right next to the glue trap was this diamondback underneath a toolbox. I captured the atrox and freed the gopher, and both snakes got released into the desert. Oro Valley” – Nick
“Free access the garage? Sure! Temperature-stable hiding spot conveniently tucked out of the way? Alright! I guess this where I’m going to settle in for the winter.”
A big diamondback doing what they tend to do in the winter, hide away in a temperature and moisture stable environment. For homeowners, this often means the pool pump!
This baby was first noticed when a homeowner walked out his front door and spotted this little one on his front patio. He jumped in his car, called us, then watched the Ring camera footage to make sure the snake stayed in place until we arrived. We were able to safely relocate this little one into a dense packrat nest in suitable desert habitat.
A 2-year-old’s birthday party had an uninvited guest when this Western Diamondback Rattlesnake showed up to watch her open presents. The snake found itself a front row seat and stayed put for the evening. When we arrived, it had already spent plenty of energy rattling and stayed calm as we safely relocated it into a dense packrat nest in suitable desert habitat.
N. Scottsdale
This Western Diamondback Rattlesnake was found near a grill in this Cave Creek homeowner’s backyard. After attempts to gently encourage it to leave with a hose didn’t work, they called for help. We safely relocated the snake into a packrat nest in suitable, heavily vegetated desert habitat.
This tiny rattlesnake was found by homebuilders in a new development in southeast Mesa. It was first spotted just outside the garage, but when they tried to encourage it to move on, it slipped into a small gap under the drywall next to the garage door. We carefully coaxed it out with small tweezers and safely relocated it to a rodent burrow in suitable mountain habitat.
This north Phoenix homeowner called after her landscapers found a rattlesnake tucked into a wall on the property. With nowhere to go, the snake held its position until we arrived. After some gentle coaxing with a few different tools, this Western Diamondback Rattlesnake was safely captured and relocated to a packrat nest in suitable desert habitat.
This Cave Creek homeowner was startled by a loud rattle in the garage as he stepped out of his car. The rattlesnake was just as surprised and curled up in a corner behind some bikes. We safely relocated the snake to a sheltered spot under heavy cover in suitable desert habitat.
Some Paradise Valley homeowners called after finding a small snake in their house. Having just moved in and unsure what species it was, they didn’t want to take any chances. They did a great job keeping an eye on the small California Kingsnake until we arrived. We safely relocated it to a sheltered spot in suitable preserve habitat.
If you’re in the Phoenix area and want help identifying snakes you see around your home or on the trail, our pocket field guide “Snakes of Phoenix” is a great resource: https://rattlesnakesolutions.tv/products/snakes-of-phoenix-snake-id-info-for-everyone-from-hikers-to-homeowners
From the weekend: A Western Diamondback was spotted by the homeowner while she was picking up a package from the front porch in Glendale. The home sits right next to the dry New River riverbed and very close to a desert preserve, prime rattlesnake habitat. A large shed in the backyard, raised slightly off the ground, may have offered ideal shelter. We safely removed the snake and relocated it deep within a natural rock structure that showed clear signs of rodent activity, giving it the resources it needs well away from the home.
This poor snake was discovered halfway out of a rodent trap box in a front yard in Cave Creek. The head was clamped badly, for an unknown amount of time. Amazingly, once Marissa carefully got it out of there, it showed signs that it would be ok once the swelling went down, and was released.
A glance out the back door caught a surprise visitor on the patio. This Western Diamondback Rattlesnake was likely disturbed by nearby construction, which had just deleted the habitat that it was using to hibernate. Marissa was called out to capture the snake and move it to a better spot that is neither a patio or crawling with bulldozers and survey tape.
Some rattlesnake diversity for a night! Jeff was called to pick up a Tiger Rattlesnake in south Phoenix, then rushed to Florence for a Sonoran Sidewinder.
Both are specialist species that require special consideration for where they are to be released.
This Western Diamondback Rattlesnake was tucked in under a plant by the front door, but a light gave it away. This snake has been living at the home for some time, most likely, based on its condition and time of year.
