A defensive Western Diamondback Rattlesnake in Scottsdale. This guy didn’t stop rattling from the moment CJ stepped into the backyard until the time he was released.
The property sat at the base of a boulder-strewn hill that was all private land, so CJ took the snake a bit farther to suitable public habitat.
He released it into deep cover among granite boulders within its estimated home range, in an area with clear signs of recent rodent activity.
This Western Diamondback Rattlesnake had been visiting this McDowell Mountain area home on and off over the past week. The house sits at the end of the street, right next to a wide-open ravine, and the homeowner knew that meant he might have frequent visitors.
Jeff relocated the snake to a suitable habitat within its estimated home range, placing it into a rock pile amongst bushes below a tree.
A homeowner in Scottsdale was getting a house ready to sell when the painter mentioned seeing two rattlesnakes in the garage a few hours earlier. When we arrived, we found one neonate Western Diamondback tucked under a cone and the other hiding in the back of a utility closet, both inside the garage.
The garage door had decent gaps in the corners even when shut, which is all a small rattlesnake needs to slip inside and use the space as shelter. This community has a lot of natural desert right next to the homes and wide strips of desert between properties, so encounters like this are not surprising.
Both neonates were safely captured and relocated into nearby desert habitat with natural cover, away from the garage and walkways but still within the same general area they came from.
A homeowner in Scottsdale was walking past the pool when he noticed a neonate Western Diamondback floating near the skimmer. Fortunately, the snake was alive, just cold and sluggish.
It is not unusual for rattlesnakes to come to a pool to get a drink and accidentally slip in, especially in dry neighborhoods with limited water. This backyard did not have much deep cover, and the narrow strips of desert between homes are not great winter habitat.
After a quick check, we relocated this little rattlesnake to a nearby desert spot with proper rock and plant cover so it can hunker down for the rest of the season. For anyone with a pool, we always recommend installing a product like a Critter Ramp so animals that fall in have a way to climb out.
The homeowner and his dogs had just stepped into the backyard through the sliding glass door when they heard the unmistakable sound of a rattle. They quickly spotted the snake, and he was able to get his pups safely back inside without incident. The yard itself didn’t offer much cover, but around the corner of the back patio there was a small drain pipe, about three inches in diameter, buried into the ground. That likely served as a winter refuge where the snake had been sheltering. This large Scottsdale community is surrounded by small patches of desert woven between the homes, which can provide enough habitat for rattlesnakes to overwinter and move through the area as temperatures rise.
Dogs were barking outside at a home in Scottsdale, and the homeowner went to investigate. She found this large Western Diamondback Rattlesnake under a bush, and got the dogs inside. The snake disappeared, so she called us to come find it. Marissa arrived and was able to locate the snake laid out in the shade a few yards from the bush it was first spotted in. The home has a view fence (without rattlesnake fencing) backing up to native habitat with a large drainage nearby, so a rattlesnake there makes perfect sense.
Early in the morning, while it was still dark, the homeowner heard her dog crying outside, as if something had happened. She quickly rushed out, brought her dog inside, and noticed some swelling on its face. Concerned, she took the dog to the vet, who confirmed it had been bitten by a rattlesnake. A few hours later, she called us to check the yard. When Marissa arrived, she saw the snake moving along the side of the fence in the backyard. The home was surrounded by desert and was located right beside a wash. The dog was still at the vet when I got there. This incident took place in Scottsdale.
A Western Diamondback Rattlesnake was first spotted just outside the front door behind a potted plant, as they often are, but moved elsewhere after it was startled. It settled in between these pavers, which is where Cheyenne found it when she arrived a short time later. She relocated it to a deep packrat midden within its estimated home range.
A pest control company spotted this tiny newborn Western Diamondback Rattlesnake resting under a mat in the backyard of a Scottsdale home. We got a call to help it move along, and Marissa picked a spot where it would be better off.
