A North Phoenix homeowner was heading out to work when he discovered a baby rattlesnake coiled beside his front door. Not exactly what you expect to find on your way out in the morning.

Rather than trying to move the snake himself, he kept an eye on it as it began slithering around the front yard. By the time Marissa arrived, the little rattlesnake had moved away from the doorway, but the homeowner knew exactly where it was.

The home sits across the street from a large stretch of native desert, so a young rattlesnake wandering onto the property isn’t particularly surprising. At this age, rattlesnakes are dispersing through the landscape and occasionally end up in places like front porches and entryways.

Marissa safely captured the little rattlesnake and removed it from the property.

The cleaning crew at a Scottsdale office building spotted a baby rattlesnake inside one of the offices late at night. They closed the door and placed a towel underneath it to keep the little snake contained until we could get there.

When Marissa arrived, she found the neonate coiled behind a cabinet in the office.

The building is surrounded by desert, so finding a rattlesnake in the area isn’t especially surprising. Getting inside the building was probably pretty easy, too. Marissa noticed small gaps beneath and between several of the doors, all large enough for a snake this size to squeeze through.

It’s a good reminder that even buildings with seemingly well-sealed doors can have openings large enough for very young snakes to enter.

Marissa safely captured the little rattlesnake and removed it from the office.

The homeowner was in her backyard when she noticed her cat staring intently at something. When she went to investigate, she discovered this Western Diamondback Rattlesnake getting into a defensive coil.

Fortunately, she got the cat away from the situation and kept an eye on the rattlesnake from a safe distance until Gary arrived.

Gary safely captured the Western Diamondback and found a suitable packrat nest for release within its presumed home range and an appropriate distance from the home.

Another case where the cat noticed the snake before the human did, although investigating it personally is one part of the job we’d prefer they leave to us.

The homeowner had just seen a snake in the road while out for a walk, which apparently put snakes on her radar. When she got home, she decided to take a closer look at her own front porch and, sure enough, there was a baby Western Diamondback Rattlesnake curled up beside the doormat.

The neighborhood is surrounded by desert, although this particular home sits closer to the middle. Jeff suspects the little rattlesnake may have traveled in from a wash along the western edge of the neighborhood.

While checking the rest of the property, Jeff also picked up a bonus scorpion before taking the Western Diamondback out for release.

He found a good packrat nest for the little snake, although the current resident apparently wasn’t consulted about the arrangement. As soon as the rattlesnake went in, the packrat quickly exited out the back.

Hopefully they can work out the roommate situation.

This neonate Western Diamondback Rattlesnake was found sitting in ambush against some bricks in an Ahwatukee backyard.

Even at this size, Western Diamondbacks are already doing what rattlesnakes do. Rather than simply passing through the yard, this little snake had selected a spot along the bricks and appeared to be waiting for a potential meal to come within range.

Mark safely captured the young rattlesnake and relocated it within its estimated home range, releasing it into a large burrow beneath a collection of boulders and rocks where it had plenty of deep cover.

A Gold Canyon homeowner was doing some landscaping in his front yard when he noticed a rattlesnake coiled beneath the edge of the house in a shady corner.

The snake had found a protected little spot where it could stay out of the sun and remain mostly hidden. It’s the kind of place that can be easy to overlook when working around the house, especially when your attention is on the landscaping.

The location made sense, too. The home sits across the street from a rocky desert hillside, with a natural drainage running behind the property. Both provide habitat and potential travel routes for rattlesnakes moving through the area.

Marissa responded to the call and found the snake tucked into its shady hiding place. Fortunately, the homeowner noticed it before getting any closer.