I had some friends in town to find rattlesnakes in April, and one of the locations we hit was the Agua Fria river. The various small canyons and rock cuts, along with the year-round supply of water, make a great habitat for all kinds of desert animals. We found 3 rattlesnakes this particular morning, and a variety of other cool stuff.
Here are a trio of diamondbacks found along the way:
Here are a couple of the many canyon treefrogs we saw as well.
… and some indian art on a rock, right near where we parked.
Here’s about the scariest thing you can find in Arizona, an open nest of bees. Fortunately, these guys usually make enough noise so that you can see them well before you piss them off.
And finally, a patchnosed snake we found on the way out to our next location.
Tags: agua fria, arizona, canyon treefrog, Crotalus atrox, field herping arizona, hiking, patchnosed snake, rattlesnakes, Western Diamondback Rattlesnake
That shot of atrox in the water is amazing.
What type of camera lens do you use for photographing rattlesnakes?
I primarily use the canon 28-135mm, and use a cheap 70-300mm and 50mm when the situation fits. I am in need of an upgrade, badly, as soon as the $$$ aligns!
Thanks! It’s probably one of my favorite ones. The best part is what isn’t even in the photo … the second atrox sitting a few feet to my right.
Awesome! Thanks Bryan. I really need to get out more and get some rattler pics… would early morning be the best time to find them?
Michael,
The right time to find them is any time that temperatures and conditions are favorable. I know that’s vague, but also the truth, and a good guideline to finding them in general.
Early morning would work well for several species, however right now there isn’t a lot of movement due to the dry conditions. They are still active, but don’t expect to see them out on the crawl so much as basking/hunting in areas closer to more long term cover.
Thanks again Bryan; I really appreciate it. I sure hope we get some decent rain soon to bring out some more herps…