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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Marissa responds to a handful of relocation calls for snakes found in backyard plants and gardens. In Arizona, watered backyards and garden areas can be a perfect oasis for snakes. Especially when it’s hot and dry, these spots offer shade, cooler temperatures, and places to hunt, so snakes will often spend time there.
