A homeowner went out into the garage and was immediately rattled at from near the door. The snake likely got in while the door was open for awhile the day before.
While walking around in the backyard at night, a homeowner and her dog were rattled at. The Western Diamondback Rattlesnake had moved under a wheelbarrow to hide, too. That’s where it was found when Marissa arrived to help it find a new place to hang out.
And old gate gets new life with some rattlesnake prevention materials, attached on the inside of the gate so from the street you’d never know that rattlesnakes aren’t even an issue within.
A surprise visitor in a Cave Creek garage. The snake had been coming and going for quite some time through a gap under the seal in the corner.
A pair of colorful Western Diamondback Rattlesnakes near Tucson that were found in a garage. Note that both of them are hiding their heads before relocation. This is an aspect of defense and a sign of the stress of the event. As much as we can try to minimize it, relocation is a very scary experience for the snakes. Thankfully, they learn from these events, and will avoid it in the future.
From Bryce: “This one was a doozy, but a fun one for sure! Got a call around midnight for a rattlesnake sitting in a Buckeye resident’s front yard. By the time I got there, this Mojave Rattlesnake had just started crawling into the neighbor’s yard. Unbeknownst to me at the time, the concrete wall was hollow, and when I went to grab the snake, it slipped its way into the wall. Attempts to secure the snake with tongs and hooks were unsuccessful, so I resorted to watering it out. Admittedly, I wasn’t very hopeful that this call would go in my favor, as this snake had a perfect spot to spend the night in a spot that I couldn’t really get to. But finally, after what seemed like ages, our culprit got sick of being sprayed with water and made a dash for it, giving me an opportunity to bucket her before she could find her way into any more predicaments. “
A sneaky little Western Diamondback Rattlesnake that Dave caught on Tucson’s south side. That generalist pattern works about everywhere, including artificial terrain like this.
A call to the Tucson hotline for “three rattlesnakes” ended up being FIVE by the time Dave was done searching there. All were relocated together to carefully selected cover within their estimated home range.
The homeowner lost track of the snake while Dave was on route, but he found it hiding out in a rodent bait box.
A pest control operator in Scottsdale saw a rattlesnake in a backyard and notified the homeowners. A Property Inspection was scheduled, and Jeff went out to check the yard. He found a pair of mating Western Diamondback Rattlesnake under a bush. Also nearby: the actual problem. A packrat nest was hidden away, and likely where the rattlesnakes had been living.
Some Western Diamondback Rattlesnake diversity from recent relocation calls around Arizona.
It’s not all diamondbacks! Well … here’s one, but with a few friends who also show up at homes from time to time and got a ride back to the desert.
A large Mojave Rattlesnake at an industrial area in the east valley. Jeff helped find a new place to hang out. This one is the typical brown coloration of the area.
This little Western Diamondback Rattlesnake was hanging out inside an apartment complex hallway, and was evicted back to the desert by Marissa.
A Mojave Rattlesnake alerted a homeowner to its presence when she was taking the trash out at night in Queen Creek.
A Western Diamondback Rattlesnake was revealed when a homeowner moved a trash can away from a pool pump. This is not an uncommon sight in Scottsdale.
We were recently hired to inspect a property of a medical facility where several rattlesnakes had been spotted. Dave went out and was able to locate 3 Western Diamondback Rattlesnakes, and advise on situations that could be changed to avoid future encounters.
Here are those snakes on the way out, and the deep packrat nest where they were relocated to. By carefully selecting relocation sites and releasing them directly to deep cover, we can reduce the likelihood of panicked wandering behavior and help the snake survive the ordeal.
Derek was able to find a Western Diamondback Rattlesnake in a backyard, where the dog had found it. Thankfully, there was no bite, and everyone (including the sanke) made it out of the situation unscathed.
A Western Diamondback Rattlesnake from a Cave Creek backyard. Spring is mating time, and it’s very often for us to find other rattlesnakes in association with females found on properties. This is one reason we often get right to checking the rest of the property after securing the snake we’re actually called out for. In this instance, she was alone.
A Mojave Rattlesnake from the east valley was relocated by Jeff recently.
If you’re currently typing out “I thought they were green!”, this is where you learn this is not the case in many, if not most, situations with this species in our region.
Dave went out to this property near Tucson after several rattlesnakes had been seen in the area, but none were on the surface that day. However, now in April, one rattlesnake was found near an obvious hibernacula with signs of long-term use. The snake was relocated, and the property owner knows what can be done to prevent their return in the fall.
A Western Diamondback Rattlesnake found in the corner of a garage near Tucson, relocated elsewhere within its estimated home range into carefully selected habitat.
From CJ: “Long Western Diamondback Rattlesnake the other morning. When I arrived it was ready to vámanos from the front porch. Customer asked about rattlesnake eggs and I was able to provide education on rattlesnakes giving live birth and how many people think quail eggs are rattlesnake eggs. When doing the inspection, I stumbled upon a clutch of quail eggs in a planter and was able to point them out to the customer. North Scottsdale.”
Another backyard protected from rattlesnake visits this year. They can live on the other side of the fence, and everything works out just fine.
A new rattlesnake fence installation leaving no gaps large enough for a rattlesnake of any size to get in. Baylend took care of this one.
A pair of Western Diamondback Rattlesnake found recently outside the perimeter of a rattlesnake fence we installed. This prompted a call to relocate the snakes and check the interior area as well, but the fence had done its job and no snakes or issues were found within.
From CJ: “Gophersnake friend crashing the customer’s lounge time on the patio. Took him to the river bottom where there was a good pile of debris he could hang out in. Litchfield Park.”
A Western Diamondback Rattlesnake had been hanging around on the back patio for a few days. Eventually, the homeowner called us to come out and help it move along. CJ found a nice packrat nest shaded by Palo Verde, where it was released directly to deep cover to help it survive the event.
Nik was called to this large Western Diamondback Rattlesnake a few blocks from a midtown neighborhood in Tucson. How it made it through all of the cars and human activity can’t be known, but Nik found the likely source and relocated the snake back to it.
A courtyard gate secured from entry by rattlesnakes recently by the team.
