A Gila Monster was found near a home and wasn’t going anywhere for the day. To keep it safe from dogs (and the dogs as well), it was relocated to a carefully selected location. Gila Monsters do not relocate well, so extra care was taken to make sure it was placed into the perfect spot within its estimated home range.
This beautiful Sonoran Gophersnake decided to take a siesta under an outdoor grill and was fast asleep until Jon gently interrupted. With several pockets of desert scattered throughout the neighborhood, there are plenty of places for snakes to move through and settle in. Jon safely relocated it to a good spot and released it into a gopher burrow within its estimated home range, though it was a little too quick to dive in for a release photo.
The homeowner was on her back patio picking up a cover for her patio furniture when she noticed a snake underneath. She quickly dropped the cover and went inside, unsure what kind of snake it was. When we arrived, the snake was still right next to the cover and turned out to be a baby Western Diamondback rattlesnake. The yard itself was very clean with few places for a snake to hide, but there is a large area of desert habitat directly across the street, which likely explains how it ended up passing through the property. North Phoenix.
Marissa gets called to a shady courtyard in Phoenix where a big Western Diamondback is hiding under a bike. With a preserve and golf course nearby, it’s not hard to see how this snake got so large. Lots of food, good habitat, and plenty of cover.
Bryan responds to a rattlesnake on a front porch, sitting in the shade trying to stay cool. This is common in the summer. Snakes look for shade anywhere they can find it, and sometimes that means right up against a house.
A north Phoenix homeowner called in a bit of a panic. They had just stepped out to go into their garage when a loud rattling was heard just underfoot. With a quick peek at the tail before slamming the door shut, they correctly identified the sound as a rattlesnake. They kept the garage door shut until Maggie arrived to ensure it stayed put. Upon her arrival, it took a few minutes to locate the snake as it had moved across the garage and coiled up under some cords. She was able to release the snake into a packrat nest in suitable desert habitat.
North Phoenix homeowners called with yet another rattlesnake on the property. They have some perfect snake habitat, in the form of a huge vegetated wash next door, and that has been drawing snakes to their property, in this case, the garage, for the last few years. This little diamondback was adamant on staying in said garage. With a little blocking and patience, Maggie was able to secure this one in the bucket and relocate it to heavy cover in the appropriate desert habitat.
Notes from Maggie on a recent snake relocation call:
This might be the cutest coachwhip ever. 😍
This call came in from North Phoenix with some panicked homeowners who saw a snake in their backyard. They immediately hid inside and called for help. They watched through the windows and thought it had gone under the fake rock that hid the pool pump. Unfortunately, when I flipped the fake rock the coachwhip quickly evaded me and slithered into a hole in the outdoor kitchen. After some searching and mini fridge relocating, I found the snake curled up under a board and was able to snag it. I relocated the coachwhip onto a rocky crevice in the nearby preserve.
Some rattlesnake diversity for a night! Jeff was called to pick up a Tiger Rattlesnake in south Phoenix, then rushed to Florence for a Sonoran Sidewinder.
Both are specialist species that require special consideration for where they are to be released.
A small Western Diamondback Rattlesnake was seen hiding in the garage, where it likely intended to spend the winter. It disappeared but Apryl was able to find it nearby, under a shoe rack, and safely capture it. She took it to season-appropriate microhabitat for it to continue its life.
Every year, the Phoenix Reptile Expo seems to be our unofficial “season wrap-up”. Bryan, Marissa, Jeff, Jill, and a handful of our relocation and fencing team loaded up all the rattlesnakes from our educational collection, set up the tables, and spent the weekend talking with thousands of people about the wildlife we share our desert with.
In between questions about rattlesnake behavior, safe coexistence, and the usual “what’s the biggest one you’ve ever seen?”, the crew wandered the expo catching up with friends from across the reptile and conservation world. One highlight: visiting Cody Will of Rattlesnake Ranch / Rattlesnake Ready, who is doing a great job with Rattlesnake Aversion Training with Dogs, and education with his vast collection of rattlesnake from across the continent.
