Check out this Pink Rattlesnake from Ben Avery

[IA Born]

I've heard that story several times and it usually includes a large rattler from south Texas, but I don't put a great deal of buy-in into the theory. Snakes evolved rattles as a defense mechanism against large ungulates and such 20,000+ years ago. Rattles are what kept them from being stepped on and, thus, killed. In all of my studies and actually looking for various species of rattlesnakes, I've only ever seen a couple of species that aren't as inclined to rattle. Most are still very eager to rattle when they need to (key phrase "need to"). At the same time, passive defense (just sitting there quietly) has always been their best defense. I've seen plenty of diamond-backed, black-tail (notoriously quiet in AZ), rock, and tiger rattlesnakes that just sat there while an entire group walked by them. When they were finally discovered and we were moving in to collect data or photos, they rattled like crazy. Rattlesnakes are highly evolved, but their brains are still small. Its like Mr. Miyagi said: "Best defense no be there!"

 

Catalina Island rattlesnakes lost their rattle (over 1000s of years) because, originally, there were no ungulates or other natural predators on the island after it split from the mainland that forced the need for a rattle.

[Jcubed]

Thanks for the reply!

[Freakycamo]

Its good to see all the rattle snake experts here, I was up checking my trail cam last week and this little guy was guarding my trail cam for me. I have a friend that told me that there were no rattle snakes in flagstaff (6700 ft.) but he's wrong. This is the second one like this that I have seen up there. They look to be on the small size. Does anyone know kind this is? Thanks for the help.

[BigMoqui]

Its good to see all the rattle snake experts here, I was up checking my trail cam last week and this little guy was guarding my trail cam for me. I have a friend that told me that there were no rattle snakes in flagstaff (6700 ft.) but he's wrong. This is the second one like this that I have seen up there. They look to be on the small size. Does anyone know kind this is? Thanks for the help.

Arizona Black. Part of that aforementioned Western Rattlesnake group. I've seen them as high as 7,200' in elevation. And before someone tries to correct me and say it is a timber rattler those only occur east of the Mississippi. I can't remember how many times I've seen someone say this on this site. Heck, even my Dad used to call these timbers.

[reezenhunter]

Almost stepped on one of those black ones last. Deer season unloaded on him lol

[jim]

Thats what we grew up calling them. I still call them timber because of that. I have seen them on top of the rim and down in the Blue. Question for IA do the snakes have a hard time rattling right after they shed? I found 1 a couple weeks ago near kingman and there was a fresh skin near by and I could not get him to rattle at all. He was around 3 feet long. I tried to get him to rattle so I could get my grandkids to hear what they sound like. This was a western diamond back.

[IA Born]

 

 

Its good to see all the rattle snake experts here, I was up checking my trail cam last week and this little guy was guarding my trail cam for me. I have a friend that told me that there were no rattle snakes in flagstaff (6700 ft.) but he's wrong. This is the second one like this that I have seen up there. They look to be on the small size. Does anyone know kind this is? Thanks for the help.

Arizona Black. Part of that aforementioned Western Rattlesnake group. I've seen them as high as 7,200' in elevation. And before someone tries to correct me and say it is a timber rattler those only occur east of the Mississippi. I can't remember how many times I've seen someone say this on this site. Heck, even my Dad used to call these timbers.

The only correction I have is that AZ blacks are now their own species (Crotalus cerberus)and not part of the western group anymore (since 2009). They are definitely around Flagstaff! Good call on the "not a timber rattler"! All of the local vernacular is why my major professor in grad school wouldn't let us use common names for ANYTHING!

 

As for the diamondback not rattling, Jim, I've seen rattlesnakes rattle many times right after shedding! I think it was being coy!

[PRDATR]

Not AZ but I came across a very aggressive Rattler about 25 years ago in Garden Of The Gods in Colorado Springs. It surprised the heck out of me to see one that high.

[Edge]

PRDATR, that would be Satan

 

Goodness sakes, IA Born; now there's political correctness in the world of herpetology?

 

Question for the experts; I walked out to a shed one dark and dreary night and felt around the wall for the light switch. Finally found it, flicked it on and there in the light was a rattler there coiled up at my feet.

If I turned the light back off, would he not be there?

 

.

[rageinthesage]

I came across a yellow rattle snake on the north rim of the grand canyon deer hunting the kaibab, still wonder what kind of rattler that was. It was in the pines probably around 7,000 foot elevation.

[PRDATR]

Good one Edge.

I had a good friend who live out in Apache Junction who had coyot's coming into his property and eating his German Shepard's food. He asked me to come out and take out a few so one morning I went out and got there just as the sun was coming up. I walked down a long wash and found an open area on a bend.

I put on my face net, unfolded my stool and put a shell in the chamber of my shotgun. I backed up into a huge Palo Verde and slowly put the stool down into the sand. I took a step back and sat down then heard a loud cat like hiss. I looked down to see a 4'+ rattler coiled up about 6" from my boot.

Needless to say I didn't do any calling that morning.

[Freakycamo]

thanks for all the good info on the snakes we have in flagstaff, you guys did an great job. now what do you do if one bits your dog? I think I would like to know before he get bit. thanks

[IA Born]

If your dog gets bit, get it to the vet immediately. I've seen the immunization shots work, but I'm not a big fan (I've seen it not work). Its too unreliable. I think there are better ways to prevent snakebites on dogs. Back when we lived in Tucson, we had both of our GSDs trained in rattlesnake avoidance because of my propensity to go out of my way to find them and always having our dogs with us. Best $100 (for both dogs) I ever spent in that regards. Not sure if there is anyone here in Flagstaff that does avoidance training, but there are places down in the valley. $50/dog (then) was way better than a $3k-$4k vet bill!

 

 

As for rattlesnakes on the North Rim, more than likely it was a great basin rattlesnake (Crotalus oreganus lutosus). They are the only ones I know of regularly north of the Grand Canyon in AZ and they can be yellow and in the pines. And they are still a member of the western rattlesnake complex! Blacktail rattlesnake is possible, but not likely.

[jim]

IA that snake played coy alright. I did everthing I could to get him to rattle. He finally just went into a root system and never made a peep. I even picked him up with a stick.

[huntlines]

Rattle snakes give me the creeps. There are so many different kinds it is crazy. Years ago I found a small rattle snake dead in the road. I couldn't figure out what it was and was intrigued. I was at about 8,000 feet and knew rattle snakes are not common at this altitude. While looking at it some wildlife biologist came by and they were all excited. They said it was a twin spotted or something like that rattle snake. They collected it and said it would be studied because they are so rare.

 

A few years ago I was out deer hunting and was at about 9,000 feet when I came across another one of these snakes. It had two reddish dots near it's rattles and was only about sixteen inches long. I was very upset because I didn't have my camera with me and my cell phone was in my truck so I couldn't get any pictures. I was glad I had the experience to see it but was even happier to walk away as well.