The first rattlesnake call of the year for Nik in Tucson was this Western Diamondback Rattlesnake that had taken advantage of the free rattlesnake den. This situation, where rock of various sizes were stacked on and around access to deeper refugium inadvertently made the perfect conditions for a snake to spend the winter. As with many situations like this we respond to, it can be a surprise for homeowners to learn that they’ve shared the yard with at least one rattlesnake for several months at this point.
The snake was relocated to carefully selected microhabitat with similar qualities as the point of capture. This important detail is missing from the majority of discussion and training on snake relocation, yet may be the key to the whole practice.


