Just a little guy, curious about the big apre standing over him taking pictures.
Crotalus cerastes cercobombus
Aug
10th
2009
Pale Mojave Rattlesnake
Mojave Rattlesnake
Crotalus scutulatus
To people who aren’t experienced, the Mojave Rattlesnake can be difficult to distinguish from the Western Diamondback Rattlesnake. Their convergent patterning and tail banding can be confusing without an understanding of some of the basic differences in their physiology. Below is a photo of one of these differences, the number of scales between the ocular scales which cover the eyes. In the Mojave, there are 2 (occasionally 3). In a Western Diamondback, there are 4 or more.
2 Scuts between the eyes.
Aug
7th
2009
Southwestern Speckled Rattlesnakes
Here are a couple of orange and pink phase Southwestern Speckled Rattlesnakes, Crotalus mitchellii phyrus, I found the other day. The bright salmon one with blue eyes currently resides in my office. Truly beautiful snakes.
Southwestern Speckled Rattlesnake
Crotalus mitchellii phyrus
Speckled Rattlesnake
Rattlesnake in Arizona
Aug
4th
2009
Arizona Black Rattlesnake
After 10 hours of hard hiking and searching in the June heat, I found my target: the Arizona Black Rattlesnake, Crotalus cerberus. This is only the third I’ve ever seen, and the darkest coloration of my experience with them.
Here it is as it was found, sleeping in a rock cut
Crotalus cerberus
Arizona Black Rattlesnake
I left to search further into the canyon, but found nothing. On the way out, as the sun had just gone over the edge of the mountains, I found the same snake in a different location, about 100 feet from the original hideout. It was sleeping in the middle of the wash. I was able to once again sneak a few photos without disturbing the animal, and left without it even knowing I had found it both times.
Arizona Black Rattlesnake
Arizona Black Rattlesnake
Crotalus cerberus
Jul
31st
2009
Baby Gila Monster
Here’s a tiny Gila Monster, Heloderma suspectrum, Kelly and I came across today while we explored the areas North of our home in Anthem. It was found right at the edge of their range, and was completely unexpected. Actually, I don’t think finding them is ever really expected, so nevermind. This is my 4th in life, and Kelly’s first.
Gila Monster
Jul
28th
2009
The Worst iPhone App Ever
Although this isn’t nearly the smallest Sonoran Sidewinder (Crotalus cerastes cercobombus) I’ve ever seen, it was the one I saw on a night when I was bored enough to try and make it sit on my phone for maybe the nerdiest photo I’ve ever taken. Here they are, and yes I’m a dork.
Crotalus cerastes cercobombus
Sonoran Sidewinder
Jul
24th
2009
Greater Earless Lizard
Another example of a colorful Greater Earless Lizard, Cophosaurus texanus, one of the most common lizards I see out there. They’re usually the first interesting thing I see on a trip, and I’m anxious to come away with something to show for my long drive to wherever. One of these days I’ll stop taking so many pictures of them, or at least so I tell myself.
Cophosaurus texanus
Jul
21st
2009
Mojave Rattlesnake Relocation
I’ve only seen 2 Mojave Rattlesnakes (Crotalus scutulatus) at a home; this one, and another just out front of my own home about a week earlier. They’re cool, decently variable snakes that I always enjoy finding, but I must admit that they really keep me on my toes. They’re particularly dangerous, as their dangerous neurotoxin puts them a step ahead of many of the other rattlesnakes one would encounter. Unlike the tissue-destroying venom of other rattlesnakes in Arizona, the neurotoxin of a Mojave bite attacks the nervous system, and is capable of paralyzing critical functions (such as breathing). My own observation is that they also tend to be generally more nervous and aggressive than many other species, making them double trouble. The one and only snake that ever actually jumped at me, for instance, was a Mojave. The young snake struck with such intensity that the entire animal actually lifted off the ground and landed about a foot in front of it’s original position.
Beautiful snakes, but I give them an especially wide buffer.
Crotalus scutulatus
Mojave Rattlesnake
Mojave Rattlesnake
Crotalus scutulatus
Jul
17th
2009
A Big Desert Spiny Lizard
This is the most colorful Desert Spiny Lizard, Sceloporus magister, I have ever seen. While not displaying a lot of variety, the head is solid red-orange. It was also very large. In fact, upon first seeing it, I thought it was a squirrel. Cool lizards.
Desert Spiny Lizard
Jul
14th
2009
Hazards of Love
One morning awhile back I spent the afternoon sitting behind a wall just North of Congress, Arizona, and watched the Greater Earless Lizards (Cophosaurus texanus) in great tumult over a female. Over the course of an hour or so, many males came, danced, and were either driven off or just ran away in apparent frustration. The males can be wonderfully colorful, and they brought their best that morning.
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.
Jul
10th
2009
Three Tiny Snakes
In the last few trips in Arizona’s ultra-dry June, the only snakes I’ve seen are very small. There are many tiny snakes that make a living eating termites, scorpions, spiders, and other soft-bodied invertebrates, and do not get much more than a foot long. There are also those snakes that feed upon these snakes, they themselves never acheiving a great size.
This one may be one of the smallest, the slightly venomous Smith’s Blackheaded Snake, Tantilla hobartsmithi. This is the first of this species I have seen, despite them being very common. This is most likely due to their tiny size. This adult was around 7 inches long, with a maximum size of around 12 inches.
Smith's Blackheaded Snake
Another small snake is the common Groundsnake, Sonora semiannulata. I get quite a few emails asking me about the identity of a “baby snake” found in a garage or under a yard rock. Commonly found in and around homes in the Phoenix area, they eat scorpions and spiders, including potentially dangerous bark scorpions and black widows. One of these in your yard is a good thing.
Sonora semiannulata
A snake that eats both of the above species is the Desert Nightsnake, Hypsiglena chlorophaea. One of 3 species of nightsnake found in Arizona, it kills them with a weak venom worked in by enlarged teeth in the rear of the mouth. It gets larger than the above, maxing out at about 2 feet long. Most I have seen, however, are in the neighborhood of 12″-14″. This one grew tired of me harrassing it while trying to take a photo and adopted a defensive head-at-the-bottom coiled position.
Desert Nightsnake
Jul
7th
2009
Young California Kingsnake
Here’s a very young california kingsnake (Lampropeltis getula californiae) I found out doing his thing one night.
After missing a bite, it curled into a defensive ball.
California Kingsnake
I moved it to the base of a tree, where, which to my surprise it climbed up into the lower branches and then just sat still for some photos.
Lampropeltis getula californiae
