I waited until their trucks disappeared around the corner and released the snake to the same place. I guess I’ll have to find another diamondback for my ‘research’.

The snake was massive, I’d estimate between 50-55″ based on its length compared to my 46″ hook. He did not deserve to be a belt; not today.

Crotalus-atrox-1-042212

Crotalus-atrox-2-042312

Also, tomorrow at this time I’ll be on a plane on my way back to PA for more timber rattlesnakes!

He’s pretty cool looking, too.

Crotalus cerberus

Arizona Black Rattlesnake

Here she is as found.

diamondback

She nosed around the bush for awhile, and eventually decided to move to the other side.

C-atrox-3-042011

… and after looking in and out of a few holes along the opposite side, she coiled up against the warm dirt wall, which is how I left her a few minutes later without so much as a tongue flick in my direction.

C-atrox-1-042011

Please cover the eyes of any juvenile reptiles in the room before viewing.

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=beDXxSh3Sqg

He’s missing the usual black eyescale that these guys have, and is a pretty standard desert-phase coloration. He was found crossing the road near a canal, so the best I can figure is that he was crawling between rock piles somewhere off on the horizon and got “stuck” against the uncrossable line, and had followed it here.

Interestingly enough, it’s not the first time I’d found a ‘mountains only’ kind of snake in this spot. The lyresnake (another snake that lives in the hills and mountains) in my collection was found less than a quarter mile from this spot. Strangeness.

Diamondback Rattlesnake

Here’s his ladyfriend/roomie out hunting early one morning. There are at least 4 different diamondbacks that I’ve seen that live in this one hole, and 14 total within a half mile that can be visited with regularity. The hole is within 20 feet of a popular walking trail, too, but from the tracks they leave it looks like they don’t go that direction. Good for passive hikers, good for the snakes.

Fast forward 3 days, and in a different burrow, with a different tortoise and different snake, not even 50 yards away:

I returned to the area every day for the next couple of weeks (except a few lazy days). The tortoise was always there, but the diamondback moved on. Still … it’s not common you get a chance to make up a missed shot.

Here’s a Plateau Fence Lizard, Sceloporous tristichus, upon being discovered.

Plateau Fence Lizard

… and then, halfway around the tree, an attempt to scare me away. It worked; I left.

Ahhhhhhh!!!!

Something very interesting I learned after showing off the find to some other field herpers with more experience with this species, is that they have a rather inefficient way of keeping alive as young lizards.

Eastern Collared Lizards are cannibals. Adult males will eat young lizards on sight, but spare gravid (pregnant) females. Obviously eating females loaded with eggs would not work out too well for the species, so females give warning of their status by displaying bright orange lizards. Young males, in turn, display orange coloration in order to mimic females of the same species, to avoid predation by … the same species. To me, this is right up there with the flounder in adaptations that show just how unintelligent natural design is.

Eastern Collared Lizard

Crotaphytus collaris

It was acting really strangely … striking into the air in different directions, all of which opposite of where we stood, watching. Then it turned and bit itself on the side. Whoa, this snake was crazed.

If you look closely, you can see a spot of blood where it had bitten itself.

Crotalus viridis

While going to the car to get a different lens for my camera, the snake lunged at me, straight into the air, completely clearing the ground. This is the second rattlesnake I have encountered, ever, to “jump” like this. The snake was clearly disturbed, perhaps being crazed by a car earlier in the day and in pain.

Prairie Rattlesnake from New Mexico

… and one last shot with a clearer image of the facial markings of the animal. These are the larger version of the same species, Crotalus viridis, found earlier in the year in the series of posts outlining our trip to find Hopi rattlesnakes.

Crotalus viridis

Greater Earless Lizards

Cophosaurus texanus, mating behavior

Greater Earless Lizards in Love

Finally someone made a move. Sorry for the blurry crap photo.

Lizard Porn

Oh, and the title of this post is from the album I’m listening to right now, The Hazards of Love
by the Decemberists. Fitting, so there it goes.