Snake Removal Stories – Rattlesnakes and the People of Arizona

Posted on July 25, 2024July 25, 2024 by Bryan Hughes

These four Southwestern Speckled Rattlesnakes were captured in the same location over a couple of visits. We implanted passive radio transmitters and released them together to carefully selected microhabitat. We’ll see them again, but most likely in a subsequent survey of the release canyon than any other scenario.

Marissa caught this feisty Western Patchnosed Snake in front of a business in Ahwatukee. She managed to get it out of some bushes and release it to a better situation.

More on the Western Patchnosed Snake (Salvadora hexalepis ssp.)
https://rattlesnakesolutions.com/WesternPatchnosedSnake

A Southwestern Speckled Rattlesnake rattled at an Ahwatukee homeowner as they entered the garage. The door had been left open the day before, providing an easy hiding spot to stay out of the sun for the day. It was captured safely and relocated back to suitable habitat.

More on the Southwestern Speckled Rattlesnake (Crotalus pyrrhus)
https://rattlesnakesolutions.com/SpeckledRattlesnake

Another rattlesnake fence installation that is difficult to see without specifically looking for it. There are a lot of fence styles out there, each with its own necessary methods and materials to make sure the rattlesnake-excluding standards we’ve developed are in place.

More information on Rattlesnake Fencing: https://rattlesnakesolutions.com/keep-snakes-away/snake-fence.php?p=social

Why were the quail at this Fountain Hills home going nuts? The rattlesnake hiding in the bush! It was relocated safely.

It’s toad time! These two Sonoran Desert Toads had been hanging out in backyards for a few weeks. With a couple of dogs in the yard, they got a ride to another situation where they can survive. These toads can be very dangerous to dogs.

This Western Diamondback Rattlesnake took a dive when trying to get a drink, and wasn’t able to get out. Thankfully the homeowners spotted it and called Bryce out to help it to a better situation.

A young Western Diamondback Rattlesnake from a Cave Creek back patio. The homeowners were scheduled to have rattlesnake fencing installed, and this little one thought he’d get one last time in the yard before it’s a no-rattlesnakes zone. Bryce relocated it to a carefully selected location.

A courtyard with materials added to deny entry to rattlesnakes in an inviting, shaded area.

A gravid (pregnant) Western Diamondback Rattlesnake was spotted cruising around the shaded area near a pool. When it’s this hot, these situations emulate natural aestivation areas and rattlesnakes are often encountered at homes. She was safely captured by our team and relocated to a carefully selected microhabitat to wait out the heat and eventually give birth.

One of our favorites, and not one we relocate too often considering how common they are: a Tiger Rattlesnake! Dave relocated this one from guest housing at a Tucson area golf resort. Despite the guest’s demands that it be “dispatched”, the resort know what’s up and helped Dave find a suitable site to relocate the snake.

A few recent Western Diamondback Rattlesnakes as found by Dave on recent relocation calls around Tucson.

A Southwestern Speckled Rattlesnake seen by an Ahwatukee homeowner as they pulled into their driveway. It then went into the backyard and cruised around for a bit before coming back to the front, which is where Marissa found it upon arrival. It was safely relocated to carefully selected habitat.

A Western Diamondback Rattlesnake found in a hallway of an apartment complex in Phoenix. Many of these new complexes are built adjacent to large areas of state land and provide rattlesnake-friendly landscaping. The inevitable, and optional, result are encounters like this. The snake was safely relocated and no others were found.

An interesting Southwestern Speckled Rattlesnake found at a home in Ahwatukee. It’s pattern is disrupted in several places, leaving open patches of orange on its head and and an overall more mottled, chaotic pattern than is typical in the area. The tongue is also pink with white tips.

A Western Diamondback Rattlesnake in a Cave Creek backyard enjoying the cool lawn. When it’s hot, it’s not uncommon for us to be called out to capture rattlesnakes sitting in the wide open like this, usually right after the sprinklers have finished up. I think right now anyone in Arizona would do the same 😉

A little Western Diamondback Rattlesnake taking advantage of a shady spot with a little added moisture under a hose. Marana, AZ.

Do a kick flip! A radical little Western Diamondback Rattlesnake in an Oro Valley garage.

While releasing a rattlesnake after a recent capture in Oro Valley, Nik saw confirmation that he was in suitable habitat for the species and time of year – a Western Diamondback Rattlesnake coiled in ambush, waiting for a rodent or bird to come along. While we normally never disturb situations like this, the snake was on a busy trail frequented by runners, so it was moved a short distance as well.

A small Mojave rattlesnake on a doorstep near Three Points. The home, which didn’t exist a month prior, will likely experience continued encounters with confused wildlife for several years. Landscaping decisions, rattlesnake fencing, and continued education can be essential aspects of safe and sustainable coexistence in such situations. Nik relocated this one to suitable microhabitat.

This Western Diamondback Rattlesnakehad managed to go up a dozen steps to the front door to hang out. Justin helped find it a better spot.

A recent rattlesnake fence project completed in the Tucson area.

More information on Rattlesnake Fencing: https://rattlesnakesolutions.com/keep-snakes-away/snake-fence.php?p=social

A Western Diamondback Rattlesnake in a corner near a front door. This is a surprisingly common situation. Despite this, the homeowners typically discover the snake on the way BACK, having stepped over it initially. This one was safely captured and relocated by Dave in Tucson.

A Western Diamondback Rattlesnake in ambush in some erosion control rocks in a Tucson front yard. Relocated to a better situation.

Our Tucson hotline got a call for a Sonoran Gophersnake stuck in a rodent trap along with an unknown second reptile. Dave was able to free the snake, which has a good chance of recovering despite some broken ribs. The other was a Tiger Whiptail lizard, which was also carefully removed. Both were given water, which they quickly drank up, before they went off into natural habitat.

A Western Diamondback Rattlesnake from Cave Creek:

Some recent rattlesnake fencing installation work from our team in Tucson. This property is ready for rattlesnake baby season.

More information on Rattlesnake Fencing: https://rattlesnakesolutions.com/keep-snakes-away/snake-fence.php?p=social

This giant Western Diamondback Rattlesnake was as big as the lid of Nik’s bucket. This one wasn’t the relocated snake, however, but one he found while on the release. The presence of wild rattlesnakes at a release site is a great indicator we’ve selected the right location.

This pretty, young Mojave Rattlesnake was relocated from a residential property in the Phoenix area by Tim. As we often discuss, Mojave Rattlesnakes in our area are seldom green, with this rich brown color being more typical. While some do have a greenish tint, the common misbelief that this color is diagnostic for the species is false.

Upgrades to this outer fence will make this fall less rattlesnakey this year. From our Tucson team.

A little Western Diamondback Rattlesnakehiding out in the shade cast by a backyard grill. Relocated to a better situation by Marissa.

This Sonoran Gophersnake found a group of eggs in a Scottsdale backyard. It was safely escorted, along with its quail omelet, to suitable nearby habitat.

A tiny juvenile Gila Monster found very far into an entirely developed neighborhood. It had been seen a few weeks prior, and had managed to survive despite no nearby habitat at all. How it got to this location is a mystery.

This Western Diamondback Rattlesnake was in a Mesa warehouse, pretty far away from the nearest suitable habitat. It had to have crossed a freeway and quite a lot of entirely urbanized area to get here. Everyone, including the snake, are likely happy to have this situation resolved.

Made in the shade.

The NUMBER ONE rattlesnake fence principle:

The perimeter of a protected area must be entirely protected. Not just the gates, not just the fence along the back with the sides open … the entire thing. A partial job is not a rattlesnake deterrent but becomes an effective rattlesnake trap. If you’re talked into a partial project, the chances for a rattlesnake encounter in your backyard can actually go up dramatically.

This one is done right: all the way around, no openings at all, and using the proper materials and methods.

A little Western Diamondback Rattlesnake waiting out the heat of the day in this shady area alongside a Mesa home.

A dog found this California Kingsnake in the backyard. It went down a hole and there was some concern it wouldn’t be able to be retrieved safely … but it had apparently found a back door and was just slithering towards Marissa when she arrived. It would be great if they were all that easy.

Welcome to Scottsdale! This scene – a small Western Diamondback Rattlesnake hiding out in the corner of a shaded front entrance, is pretty common.

The homeowner already had this Southwestern Speckled Rattlesnake in a bucket by the time Marissa got there! This brightly colored snake was at a home high on a hillside of rock the same color. It was tagged and released within the preserve to carefully selected microhabitat.

Some free water in the backyard was a great resource for this Speckled Ratlesnake. After it had been there for a few days, the homeowners decided it should move along.

Marissa took it to seasonally appropriate microhabitat for the species. This careful consideration during the relocation process is essential for the animal to survive.

A north Phoenix homeowner saw this small Western Diamondback Rattlesnake crawl into the garage through a gap take a rest in the corner. The snake was carefully relocated, and “fix the garage door” was added to the weekend task list.

Arizona Snake Removal and Snake Fence Updates

Posted on March 13, 2024March 13, 2024 by Bryan Hughes

We’re busy again! Spring is here and the 2024 rattlesnake season is underway. Here is some of what we’ve been up to:

The homeowner pulled into the driveway and noticed a rattlesnake outside. When they tried to scared it away, it retreated into the garage … where it’d likely been hibernating for a few months. Marissa helped it find a better den to finish its pre-spring behavior, and the homeowners now know there’s a gap in the garage door that can allow things like this.

The night before, the homeowner heard a rattle when he let the dog out. In the morning he called and Marissa was sent out. A Western Diamondback Rattlesnake was hiding out in this corner by a raised dog bed. Cave Creek, Arizona

A Scottsdale homeowner was putting something away when he was buzzed by a rattlesnake hiding in a cabinet. The day before, he spotted a rattlesnake outdoors and left it alone, not realizing it had been hibernating in the garage. It was safely relocated to a suitable replacement den.

This gate has been modified to prevent rattlesnakes from gaining entry into this backyard. If you know someone who should meet our team of snake nerds to keep those first spring pool Saturdays rattle-free, send them our way.

Who do you want to talk to you about rattlesnake fencing? People who spend every waking free minute looking for and talking about snakes their entire lives, OBVIOUSLY.

Where can you get such a person? Well, we’ve got a bunch of them. Some serious rattlesnake knowledge goes into the evaluation and installation of our rattlesnake fencing. Jeff has joined our sales team, to help homeowners in Tucson find safety in their own backyards.

Yesterday, he and Jill gave a presentation for a local community so homeowners can be knowledgeable as we enter another busy rattlesnake season. Our team provides presentations like these to communities at no cost as part of our overall mission to keep snakes and people safe from one another.

If you don’t know Jeff, you can see his work with snakes all over our youtube channel: https://youtube.com/c/rattlesnakesolutions

A new puppy had just come to the household, so the homeowners walked the yard prior to letting the little out for the first time. It’s good they did! A Western Diamondback Rattlesnake was crusing around the yard, eventually disappearing into a drian hole. Marissa was able to find it, and relocated it to a better spot.

An early morning call to north Phoenix – a homeowner was headed to the gym when he spotted a visitor slither into the garage when the door opened. It’s a Sonoran Gophersnake, thankfully.

The landscapers spotted this little Western Diamondback Rattlesnake who had been hibernating in a gap between the home and the surrounding block wall. It was relocated to a suitable replacement den.

This kind of gap is exactly the kind of thing that is sealed up during the snake fence installation process, if anyone’s wondering 😉

One of many properties we’ve helped to have a rattlesnake-free 2024.

More information on Rattlesnake Fencing: https://rattlesnakesolutions.com/keep-snakes-away/snake-fence.php?p=social

The homeowner had just let his dog out when he heard what sounded like an automatic sprinkler start up. He got the pup inside and saw a rattlesnake crawling under the grill to hide. Marissa went out to relocate it, and found that nearby, there was a shed with packrat activity all around. As we know from thousands of relocations: packrat homes are rattlesnake homes. On the hike out to release the rattlesnake, she ran into a bonus kingsnake!

While hanging out on the back patio, a homeowner in Cave Creek noticed a rattlesnake was also enjoying the evening.

This adult Western Diamondback Rattlesnake was found in a Scottsdale yard hiding out in a rosemary bush.

Ironically, rosemary is often touted as a deterrent to rattlesnakes, but the low ground cover and heavy leaf-litter make them ideal rattlesnake homes. When combined with a large boulder or two, a rattlesnake can make a long term home that can escape evasion for years.

It’s just barely visible even from this short distance, but this backyard will not have “rattlesnake encounter” on the list of exciting times for 2024.

Snake Fence Updates!

Posted on March 18, 2022 by Bryan Hughes

Spring is here and we’re, predictably, extremely busy. It’s a good thing! After the winter, we are always excited to get back to work. Homeowners … they may not be so excited.

People are often surprised to learn that the rattlesnake they’ve just found in the backyard may have been there, or very nearby, for months when it’s found in the early spring. Often, the rip rap and erosion control used by newer developments is perfect for this purpose, and those snakes take notice. As soon as spring comes and they emerge, the landscaped and well-watered backyards that surround it are perfect places to hunt.

If you see rabbits, quail, and other prey-sized items in your yard, you can assume that predators see them as well. That does mean rattlesnakes. Fortunately, a physical barrier like a rattlesnake fence will put a stop to that.

Snake activity is also really picking up. In the past couple of weeks, our hotline has gone from an average of 2 calls a day to more than a dozen snakes removed each day.

Peoria Western Diamondback Rattlesnake Removal

Western Diamondback Rattlesnake in Ahwatukee

Snake Removal and Snake Fence Updates 10/05/21

Posted on October 5, 2021 by Bryan Hughes

Late September and early October are usually pretty busy for us. As the monsoon wanes, we see snakes of all kinds getting ready for cooler conditions. That means there’s a lot to do: eating, mating, and traveling to wherever it is they want to wait out the winter. That can often mean they end up in a backyard or garage, and we’re called out to help.

A spike in calls usually happens right after dark. This will likely continue throughout October, dropping off dramatically in the first week of November. Of course the weather and conditions will largely determine how long this lasts, but this is a trend we see every year and we have no reason to believe it will be any different now.

Snake Removal in Phoenix and Tucson areas

Phoenix and Tucson Snake Fence Installations

Likewise, October is a time that many homeowners realize that the fear of having a rattlesnake in the yard is something that can be stopped at any time. Things like making landscaping changes and having a snake fence installed can make a huge difference.

Snake Removal and Rattlesnake Fence Installation Updates for July 6, 2021

Posted on July 6, 2021 by Bryan Hughes

Wow, finally some rain! The monsoon has officially kicked off with some rain throughout the state. That means that snakes will be on the move for the first time in a while; the result is that our snake removal hotline is super busy and people are lining up to get snake fencing installed as quickly as possible.

Here are some of the projects we’ve taken on in the last week.

Snake removal:

Snake fence:

Snake Removal and Snake Fence Updates – 05/27/21

Posted on May 27, 2021May 27, 2021 by Bryan Hughes

The weather is weird out there, but snakes are still moving. Abnormally dry and cooler than the usual May, our mid-year slow season may be starting sooner than later. Still, we’ve been picking up rattlesnakes all across the Phoenix and Tucson metro areas every day. Here are some of the snake removals and snake fencing projects that we’ve completed recently.

How much is snake removal?

Less than the cost of a bite, and the education you receive by having an experienced rattlesnake removal specialist visit is worth much more than the removal itself. The goal with any rattlesnake conflict situation is to identify changes that can be made to the property to prevent the situation from happening again.

24/7 Emergency Snake Removal

Snake Fence Projects completed in Arizona recently:

Snake Removal and Snake Fence Updates – 05/11/21

Posted on May 11, 2021 by Bryan Hughes

Things are heating up and we’re as busy as ever, called to 5-15 homes each day for snake removal service. We’re also completing up to 5 snake fence jobs every day. As Arizona cities expand, this looks like it will be a normal spring! Here are some of the recent sights from the job:

Recent snake removal activity:

Snake fence projects completed:

Snake Removals and Rattlesnake Fencing Updates – 04/01/21

Posted on April 1, 2021 by Bryan Hughes

It took awhile, but Spring is finally in full swing! The emergence of many rattlesnake species seems to have been delayed by back to back cold snaps, but our hotline is now chugging along at the usual rate. Our snake fence team is also super busy, as people continue to make the decision that the rattlesnake they just saw on the patio should be the last one.

Here’s a video compilation of some rattlesnake removal captures and releases.

Rattlesnake fence installation is becoming a very popular addition to any home in Arizona. Once people discover how easy it really is to keep a rattlesnake off the patio, it’s a no-brainer. Here are some of our recent projects.

Snake Removals and Rattlesnake Fencing Updates – 03/02/21

Posted on March 2, 2021March 2, 2021 by Bryan Hughes

Even though it’s March, we’re still seeing cool weather that is keeping most snake activity to a minimum. However, we are also getting a lot of emails and texts with photos to identify! They’re almost all Sonoran Gophersnakes, but there are a few Western Diamondback Rattlesnakes in there as well.

Our snake fencing timelines are starting to increase as well, currently booked out about 2 weeks in both Phoenix and Tucson. This is driven by the first reports of rattlesnakes on trails, in the news, and a few other places. Once things really kick off in a couple more weeks, we expect to be flooded. If a snake fence is something you’re considering, now is the time.

Usually, we see a particular signal that happens just about when our hotline starts going crazy – multiple consecutive days in March with overnight temperatures in the upper 50s. Once that happens: it’s on!