Category: YouTube

Checking My Trail Camera in a Canyon Full of Rattlesnakes

Posted on by Bryan Hughes

During the hot, dry summer of 2025, I set a few trail cameras around isolated water holes in some Arizona canyons. When water gets scarce, these little pockets can concentrate a surprising amount of wildlife, so they’re great places to leave a camera and see what shows up.

In this one, I hike out alone in the dark to check the cameras, find a few rattlesnakes along the way, and ramble a little about what a normal day at Rattlesnake Solutions actually looks like.

By the time I get to one of the camera locations, though, I can’t find it. It’s dark, I’m alone in a canyon, and I’m starting to wonder if someone actually stole the thing.

The Landscaping Mistake that Brings Rattlesnakes Closer

Posted on by Bryan Hughes

When it’s hot and dry in the desert, anything with regular access to water becomes useful to wildlife. Lawns, gardens, and potted plants on patios are all things we create to make our homes a little more comfortable in an otherwise very dry environment. But we’re not the only ones that benefit from them. These areas provide water, shade, cooler temperatures, and often attract the smaller animals that rattlesnakes are looking for. We respond to several calls that show this happening in different ways. None of these homeowners are doing anything unusual—they’re just maintaining their yards. But when conditions in the surrounding desert are hot and dry, those small pockets of water and vegetation can become very attractive to wildlife. We also answer a question that comes up pretty regularly in the comments: if it’s so hot and dry outside, why don’t we give every rattlesnake water before we relocate it?

This Rattlesnake Found Exactly What It Wanted

Posted on by Bryan Hughes

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.

Baby Rattlesnakes are Here and They are Everywhere

Posted on by Bryan Hughes

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.

It Took ALL DAY to Remove These Rattlesnakes

Posted on by Bryan Hughes

A mother rattlesnake and several newborn babies turn up on a front patio, but the babies have discovered a tight space between the patio and the house that makes a perfect hiding place.

What should be a straightforward removal turns into an all-day process. Throughout the day, the babies emerge one at a time, only to quickly disappear back into the gap when approached.

By nighttime, there’s still one baby left hiding inside. After hours of waiting, watching, and repeated attempts, the challenge becomes getting that final rattlesnake to come out far enough to be safely removed.

Large Rattlesnake Wouldn’t Leave This Garden

Posted on by Bryan Hughes

Garden beds and irrigated vegetation areas are one of the many places rattlesnakes can spend time during the Arizona summer. Shade, water, and thick vegetation make them a comfortable place to cool off.

In this video, Marissa responds to a rattlesnake that stayed inside a raised garden bed for several days after the homeowner gave it a chance to leave on its own. Josh also relocates a rattlesnake hiding alongside a house in a well-watered garden bed in Tucson. These are common situations, especially during the hottest months of the year.

Your Bird Feeders are Attracting Rattlesnakes

Posted on by Bryan Hughes

Bird feeders can attract more than just birds. Marissa and Josh respond to several calls where rattlesnakes have taken advantage of bird feeders as hunting spots. When you attract birds and rodents, you also attract the animals that feed on them.

We explain why this happens, what homeowners should watch for, and why bird feeders can unintentionally create good hunting opportunities for rattlesnakes. At the end, we share some practical tips on bird feeder placement and other ways to keep enjoying backyard birds while reducing the chances of rattlesnake encounters.

Rattlesnake Survey in Dangerously Hot Conditions

Posted on by Bryan Hughes

Arizona’s hottest months can make it seem like wildlife disappears, but that’s not really what’s happening.

I headed out before sunrise for a local rattlesnake survey to see how animals are coping with the extreme heat. During this time of year, many species shift their activity patterns or spend much of their time underground, relying on survival strategies that have helped them endure desert summers for millions of years.

One of those strategies is aestivation, which is similar to hibernation but occurs during hot, dry conditions instead of winter. Many rattlesnakes reduce their activity and spend extended periods sheltered underground, emerging only when conditions are more favorable.

Building a Naturalistic Rattlesnake Enclosure

Posted on by Bryan Hughes

I recently added a baby Desert Massasauga to my collection, courtesy of Cody at Rattlesnake Ranch AZ. Before building its enclosure, I wanted to spend some time in the habitat these snakes actually live in to get ideas for how to recreate it as accurately as possible.

Cody joined me in the field to help photograph the habitat, talk through enclosure design, and look for Desert Massasaugas and other wildlife along the way. We found plenty to see, including rattlesnakes, a Mexican hognosed snake, round-tailed horned lizards, and several other desert species.

Mojave Rattlesnake Stuck in Rat Trap

Posted on by Bryan Hughes

Jeff responds to a large warehouse facility where a security guard spotted a Mojave rattlesnake caught in a rat trap. The snake had likely traveled from nearby native habitat across the street before finding itself in trouble.

Later that night, Bryan heads out to look for rattlesnakes but is interrupted by an unexpected call close to home. A rattlesnake has been found in a backyard, turning a night of searching into a night of relocations.