Rattlesnakes

 

By Kristy McCaffrey

I live in the desert north of Phoenix, Arizona. Our property buffers an open area of desert belonging to the city, so we get a fair amount of wildlife (coyotes, javelina, bobcats) as well as snakes that wander onto our land. Most are non-poisonous—bull and garter snakes—but we’ve also encountered and caught a good number of rattlesnakes. In this area the prevalent species is the Western Diamondback Rattlesnake. It blends well into its surroundings, with a dirt-colored hide, but does have one outstanding feature which helps with a swift identification. On its tail, just below the rattle, are one to two inches of black and white stripes.

 

Western Diamondback Rattlesnake

In the summer, when it’s very hot, snakes gravitate toward water, so puddles can pose a problem. We found a young rattler near the house this way. My husband captured and placed it in an empty apple juice bottle. We then deposited the snake off-property. We’ve been told that rattlers will live within a one-mile territory; because we have dogs we prefer to relocate the snakes. The other alternative is to kill them, which many of our neighbors do. Not only is this dangerous (to kill one you must get close to it—distance is always the safest course of action when dealing with a poisonous reptile) but I also feel it’s unnecessary. Western Diamondbacks aren’t very aggressive unless threatened. And even then they’ll slither away the first chance they get.

 

A juvenile rattlesnake we caught near our garage.

This was apparent when one of our chocolate labs, Lily, encountered a rattler during a walk in the desert. It lay coiled and when she poked her nose at it the snake struck. Luckily she pulled back just in time to avoid a bite. Just as quickly the snake turned and slithered into a bush, rattling its very subdued rattle (nothing like in the movies).

My husband and older son often ride motorcycles and quads in the desert and have come across rattlesnakes on the trails several times. Sometimes they can pass but often are forced to turn back. Rattlesnakes tend to enjoy their moments of sunning and simply won’t move unless pressed. In the winter months it’s never a good idea to be out in the desert during the day since the snakes will be warming themselves from the cold night. And during the summer, dusk is a dangerous time since they’ll be out after staying in the shade of a bush for the better part of the day. Initially we had the false impression that rattlesnakes hibernate but have come to learn this isn’t true. They can be out and about year-round.

We’ve found big rattlers on our driveway twice on chilly winter nights, likely soaking up the warmth of the concrete. My husband has a long metal snake catcher, which he uses to capture the reptile and then lift it into a large garbage bin. We then load the can on the back of our pickup truck and drive it to a portion of the desert far from our house for release.

We've sometimes found rattlesnakes buried in the dirt
in our backyard.

We try to catch the snake and place it in a tall
trash bin. Then we transport it into the desert
and release it.

I must admit I don’t fear rattlesnakes as much as I did when we first arrived over ten years ago. I have a healthy respect for them, scan my surroundings at all times, and don’t walk outside barefoot. We keep a close eye on our dogs during walks. It’s also important to keep the property clear of clutter, to minimize hiding places.

Still, we had a terrible cluster of them a few years ago, finding six large ones in our backyard over a three-day period in October. We began to wonder if there was a nest nearby. But we removed and relocated them and the yard has been clear since.

One year we had so many snakes in the 
backyard that we put out sticky pads and
were able to catch several this way.

Because we never want to directly handle the snakes,
we place them in a garbage can while still attached
to the sticky pad. We coat them in about a cup of
vegetable oil and within a few hours they're able
to free themselves. Then we transfer them away
from the house. This guy is still covered in oil.

Now, if we could just get rid of the scorpions...

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Rattlesnakes

By Kristy McCaffrey

I live near open desert north of the Phoenix metropolitan area in Arizona and we have frequent interactions with rattlesnakes. I thought I’d share a few pictures with you all and perhaps dispel a few myths.

Western Diamondback Rattlesnake

We have Western diamondback rattlers. Their distinguishing feature is a series of black and white rings on the tail. This has helped me to quickly identify a snake I encounter, since bull snakes appear almost identical in markings but aren’t poisonous. Western diamondbacks aren’t aggressive unless cornered and will try to escape you at the first possible opportunity. However, when we find them on our property we do capture and relocate the reptile since we have dogs.

A bull snake that wandered into
our backyard. At first glance,
they look like a rattlesnake.

One myth is that snakes hibernate. We’ve not found this to be the case. In colder weather, they are less mobile but we’ve nevertheless seen them. If we’re in the desert, these encounters are benign because the snake is too cold to coil and can’t strike. But if the snake is near our house—usually resting against a wall to get warm—they can be a bit more feisty.

We often find rattlesnakes hidden in the dirt around
our house. Don't wear flipflops while doing
yard work.

Rattlesnakes are pit vipers. They have a heat sensing pit located behind each nostril that can detect temperature differences, sometimes only a fraction of a degree apart. The heat given off by an animal can be sensed by the snake to determine if it is predator or prey. In captivity, they can live as long as 20 years. Their main source of food is mice, rabbits, lizards, gophers, and other small animals.

A baby rattler my husband caught just outside of our garage.
In the summer, they're attracted to water and this one
was lounging in a puddle.

Another myth dispelled—you can tell the age of a rattlesnake by counting the number of rattles it has. Each time a snake sheds its skin, a new rattle is added. However, these can break off. Also, the frequency of shedding varies from snake to snake, so counting rattles isn’t a reliable way to confirm age.

How do we capture such a strong and dangerous creature? My husband uses a long stick with tongs at the end. He wrangles the snake, then lifts it into a tall garbage can with a tight lid. In the past, we’ve loaded the can into our truck, driven several miles away, and let the snake go while remaining in the truck bed to avoid it slithering toward us. But we’ve recently learned that this can be a death sentence for the rattler because it will be unable to find its water source. We now transport the snakes about a mile away, but still within their territory.

I’m sure you’re wondering—why don’t we kill them? Many of our neighbors do. While they aren’t my favorite desert critter to encounter, they do have every right to be here. Moving them from our property allows my husband and I to honor their presence as an important link in the desert ecosystem.

*****

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