Tag: arizona rattlesnake prevention

The Truth About Rattlesnakes and Heat

Posted on by Bryan Hughes

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.

Gophersnake Eating Eggs

Posted on by Bryan Hughes

A large terracotta planter made the perfect Easter basket, complete with quail eggs, for this little Gophersnake. The homeowner had been monitoring the eggs over the past few days and was surprised to find that the snake had made itself quite at home in the cool potting soil. I relocated the snake to a nearby packrat nest and as a show of good faith, offered it a delicious chocolate egg, which I ended up eating on the ride home. – Jason

Rattlesnake Removal from Tucson

Posted on by Bryan Hughes

Gary was called out after a woman relaxing on her back deck suddenly heard a rattle right by her feet. When she looked down, she found this pair of Western Diamondback Rattlesnakes mating underneath a plastic crow statue. After quickly jumping up and knocking over a few things in the process, she gave us a call. We were able to safely relocate this pair of lovebirds to a wash within their estimated home range where they could have a little more privacy.

Rattlesnake in the Backyard that Got Out

Posted on by Bryan Hughes

This is likely the same Western Diamondback that was inside of the house just an hour earlier. 

The homeowner spotted the snake, opened the front door, and let the snake see itself out.  About an hour later, the snake was found trying to hide under some landscaping.  After searching the property, it seems very likely that, after exiting through the front door, the snake simply followed the foundation of the home until it found the drain hole in the block leading to the backyard. 

This house was near a mountain, but also situated deep in the neighborhood, nowhere near any sort of drainage. The homeowner later said that the sliding glass patio door had been left slightly open, and he thinks the snake probably found its way in through the gap. He was confident that it was the same snake, which now has a new home in a packrat nest in the rocks on the nearby mountain.

Gophersnake in Pavers

Posted on by Bryan Hughes

This Gophersnake gave the homeowners the runaround before disappearing beneath a pile of pavers in the yard. After moving almost every single one, I finally found the snake curled up in a hole underneath the stack. The yard did have snake fencing installed, but it wasn’t done by us. While looking things over, I pointed out that a snake could easily get underneath the side gate, and the homeowner mentioned she was interested in having the fencing redone. – Cheyenne

Rattlesnake Under the Trampoline

Posted on by Bryan Hughes

Young Mojave Rattlesnake found by a homeowner in Gilbert. She said her kids were jumping on the trampoline when they heard the sound of a rattle, and then were able to spot the snake underneath. Hard to say when exactly this snake arrived here, could have been there all winter or could have found its way in here more recently. Either way its good that it was seen because I dont think it was able to get out on its own. Took it to the desert and relocated it into a large rodent hole at the base of a pale verde tree, where it will have a much better chance of living a long, happy life.

!!!BONUS CAT!!!

– Austin