Gerry Tietje
Many of us who live in SaddleBrooke Ranch have been startled by seeing a rattlesnake on our patios, pickleball courts, or our Nature Trail. Few, if any, of these encounters resulted in a snakebite and emergency room visit, but it’s good to remember that March is the month when rattlesnakes become more active in our desert community. These cold-blooded reptiles hibernate in burrows or under rocks in winter, are diurnal in spring and fall, and are mostly nocturnal in the hot summer, at least until the monsoon rains arrive. Although rattlesnakes can be seen any month of the year in the Southwest, they are generally encountered from March through October.
There are at least 15 species of rattlesnakes in Arizona but the most prevalent in our area is the Western Diamondback rattlesnake (Crotalus atrox). Adults reach lengths of 4 feet or more. Being in the viper family, they are venomous and pose a danger to both humans and pets. These rattlesnakes are not aggressive but do hold their ground when they feel threatened. They “generally” provide a warning rattle or menacingly lift their heads in an S-shaped coil before they strike; if they strike, the strike distance is limited to half their body length, but it happens in less than a second.
Western Diamondbacks are multicolored snakes. Their bodies often match the color of the earth, which provides camouflage, but once seen, they are easily identified by their triangular-shaped heads, exquisite umber and white diamond-patterning on their backs, and alternating black and white striped tails. Western Diamondbacks ambush their prey and inject venom to disable mammals, especially mice, voles, small squirrels, rabbits, quail, and other birds, before swallowing them whole. They, in turn, are preyed upon by coyotes, foxes, hawks, owls, roadrunners, and king snakes.
Western Diamondback males vie for the right to mate with females, with heads thrust high and necks rhythmically twisting and turning in a display that looks more like dancing than anything combative. I was privileged to watch a pair perform this ritualistic dance along the Nature Trail in March a couple years ago. Mating generally occurs in spring and females retain the fertilized eggs in their bodies for 6 to 7 months before giving live birth to 12 or more baby rattlesnakes in late summer or fall. The young snakes stay with their mothers for only a few hours before venturing out on their own, so their mortality rate is high. They are born able to inject venom.
Fortunately, we don’t live in a place where you can count on seeing a Western Diamondback rattlesnake regularly, but on the other hand, sightings are not rare either. It pays to be observant of surroundings during months when they are active and to stay on trails so one can be readily seen if present. If one ventures onto our properties, firefighters from the Golder Ranch Fire Department are willing to remove the snake and relocate it.