A call we hate to hear: “rattlesnake in a porta potty” …
But when Greyson got there, thankfully, it was UNDER it for an easy capture. Whew. Relocated to a less shitty area.
This Western Diamondback Rattlesnake was found near a back entry and quickly went to hide in some nearby bushes. The neighbor came over and tried to pin the snake with landscaping tools, which made the animal become very defensive. Thankfully, when Greyson got there, both the people and the snake had not yet been injured, but the snake was a bit of a handful getting to the new place.
Our Prescott branch’s first call of the year finally came in, by way of this mating pair of Western Diamondback Rattlesnake out near Cordes Lakes. Dane found them using shade from a bush near the building, eventually moving to a car about 30 feet away. He was very careful to capture them without separating them, and they were still locked up when they were released to a packrat nest a short time later.
This gate has been modified to have no gaps larger enough for even a newborn rattlesnake to get in, without changing its functionality or outward appearance. This is the most critical step, and often overlooked by amateur snake fence installers.
This Western Diamondback Rattlesnake was originally seen under a grill area, but moved to some blocks before Jeff arrived. The snake made itself easy to find, while it was watching as well.
A California Kingsnake was found cruising around a backyard. As it moved, it put its head in holes and was actively searching for something; possibly another snake to eat.
It’s a common idea to catch or buy kingsnakes to release on properties to help “control the rattler population” – this isn’t what really happens though. In most cases, releasing a kingsnake in such a way will just result in a dead kingsnake. Please don’t do this.
More about why we sometimes relocate harmless snakes: https://rattlesnakesolutions.com/snakeblog/rattlesnake-solutions/why-relocate-harmless-snakes/
A little Western Diamondback Rattlesnake was spotted cruising around an assisted living facility. CJ gave it a ride back to the adjacent wild area and released into a deep packrat nest between two palo verdes.
Three Western Diamondback Rattlesnakes in three different garages over a few days in Tucson. All were relocated to carefully selected conditions where they have the best chance of survival with the minimal changes of repeat encounter with humans.
This dude was trying his best to be a branch, but it needs a little work. Cory helped it along to a better location.
A young Western Diamondback Rattlesnake taking a break from the heat on a covered doorstep. This is one of the most common ways to find rattlesnakes. It’s not that rattlesnakes necessarily are attracted to front entryways – it’s the number of human eyes passing by the most well-traveled part of every home. This is an easy example of observation bias.
This diamondback had been cruising the neighborhood for the past few days per the neighbors and was found this morning drinking from the homeowner’s sprinklers. I was able to safely relocate him away into a nearby natural desert area with the resources he was looking for. This pack rat nest was covered in thorny bushes and branches. It proved difficult coaxing him into the biggest hole and getting him out of defensive mode as I didn’t want to climb under the branches with him to place him directly into the large nest hole as I normally would. He eventually calmed down and found it himself as I enjoyed his display and sassy attitude.
Initially, the homeowner thought that there were two snakes in one spot, but it ended up just being one large Sonoran Gophersnake coiled up on itself. The pattern change along the body of gophersnakes is subtle when you can see the full snake, but can be surprisingly abrupt when its all in a heap. This one was moved anyway, in part to keep it safe from a curious family dog.
A busy day for James! 6 rattlesnake calls over the day, all out and about in the perfect Spring temperatures. All were safely relocated to carefully selected surroundings.
POV: Apryl about to release a large Western Diamondback Rattlesnake to a perfect setting. These large boulders provide shelter and thermoregulatory safety as Arizona starts doing its Arizona thing, endless dry dry dry air and deadly heat. By taking this critical step, emulating the snakes’ conditions at the point of capture and taking natural history into consideration, we can give the snake a better chance to survive the ordeal and reduce its chances of future conflict with humans. To do this, we use the entirety of available research, as well as conduct our own to improve the outcomes of our actions.
Putting a snake into a bucket is easy. Getting it in the right spot is hard. There is a difference.
This Western Diamondback Rattlesnake had found its way into an enclosed “catio”, and was thankfully spotted before the usual inhabitants found it. Apryl found it a better spot to hang out.
This Western Diamondback Rattlesnake was hanging out near the back door of a community center. As Marissa was on route, it got stuck at the edge of this drop off, which held it there until it could be captured. It was, as all rattlesnakes are, safely relocated to carefully selected habitat based on species, condition, and time of year.
This Western Diamondback Rattlesnake saw this snake while walking into the garage, stuck to a sticky trap under the car. The garage door was left open for awhile, allowing easy access to the area. Thankfully, it was safely rescued and relocated to a less sticky spot in natural habitat.
A gate with modifications to keep rattlesnakes out of the backyard. From the outside, it’s hard to tell anything has been done at all.
More information on Rattlesnake Fencing: https://rattlesnakesolutions.com/keep-snakes-away/snake-fence.php?p=social
A pretty Sonoran Sidewinder was called in, seen under a shed. After Cory got there, the snake was nowhere to be found. But, he found it elsewhere, hanging out near the chicken coop. Likely, it was waiting for a rodent, which are common near these areas.
The snake was moved to a new place with suitable habitat for a sidewinder.
Greyson found this little buzzer under a garbage can in north Phoenix. The patio was well shaded, creating a nice situation for a snake like this to escape the heat and hope for a rodent to pass along.
An easy going, large Western Diamondback Rattlesnake from a community in north Phoenix. The employees chased it to a bush near the pool area, which is where Greyson found it when he arrived. It never rattled during the relocation to release process, possibly being well used to humans by this point.
James went out to capture a Western Diamondback Rattlesnake, and saw a California Kingsnake cruising around in the backyard while searching for others. Busy yard!
A large Western Diamondback Rattlesnake was spotted during a party, thankfully. It was trapped in the yard due to improperly installed snake fencing. When gates or drains are opted out, snake fencing just turns into a trap and can increase the chances of an encounter. (this is why we never accept partial jobs). Jeff relocated this old snake to another spot, where it wanted to be.
Rattlesnakes aren’t coming through this gate unless it’s held open for them. If your gate doesn’t look like this and you live where rattlesnakes do, we should talk 🙂
