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Over the last few years I've read everything about posted on this forum about rattlesnakes, and most of what I could find in the library, but I still feel deficient in knowledge of their behavior. OK, so here's the question:

Where do you see rattlesnakes?

I have most often seen them basking in open sunny spots on the trail, laying in gravel, rockpiles, or leaf trash on the side of the trail, and of course in the road.

Where else do you see them? If I made a living ambushing rodents, I would hang out in those places where bushes (creosote, mesquite, scrub oak, willow) have overgrown the sides of the trail and there's little footprints in the dust. I always make plenty of noise entering these areas, and lead with my poles, and though I've never seen a snake in one of these areas, I get really nervous about pushing my way through overgrown trails. Am I nuts?

By the way, I live about a mile from a major timber rattlesnake and copperhead den. I see two or three live ones every year, and half a dozen flat ones. My AZ hiking is mostly in cooler weather, but I have had a few close encounters.

I saw my first Arizona Black Rattlesnake this year. I have seen lots of snakes of many species over the years. Up here in the White Mtns. we have other rattlesnakes out along the Little Colorado River below Springerville. I am not sure of all the species, but my friends saw a green one, so I guess maybe there are some Mojaves in there. They are thick in there during the summer months, especially during monsoon. I really don't go down that way too much during the warm months, but my pals have been seeing them regularly, like around the area of Wenima Wildlife Area. Also right IN Springerville, right next to the airport, there is this paved road that goes nowhere and has no cars on it that everyone uses for walking and biking--we call it "The Road to Nowhere." A lot of snakes up there during monsoon.

Anyway, about my AZ Black. I was backpacking along the Black River in mid-July. I was in the area upstream from Bear Creek, and downstream from Beaver Creek, near the really big swimming hole. We heard the buzzing. I stopped. I was excited to see it because I had never seen one before. At the time I was thinking they were called "Timber Rattlers." But in my book they are called Arizona Black Rattlers, and are a subspecies of the Western Rattlesnake. Another book I have shows that the Timber Rattler, also dark in color, lives generally east of the Mississippi.

The book I use is a Peterson Guide, A Field Guide to Western Reptiles and Amphibians, by Robert C. Stebbins.

I always seem to encounter them when I least expect them, and not looking for them. So my theory is ... look for them. That way, it's certain that I won't see them ..

Now that I'm in Yuma I would like to see a sidewinder. However, I am pretty sure they are not very easy to locate if you're actually looking for one.

azbackpackr wrote:Now that I'm in Yuma I would like to see a sidewinder.

That would be amazing.

I have seen numerous sidewinders on the dirt roads around Gila Bend. Drive them at night. Yuma should be no different and should have a large population of sidewinders as they prefer the habitat of sandy soil. It is this reason the best place to see them is crossing or on hard packed dirt roads, as in the wild they can easily hide buried under sand. Sand is not their only habitat, but like I said its what they prefer. Their range can include elevations up to 6K'

Azbackpackr, you are unlikely to see any rattlesnakes anytime soon because they're probably hibernating.
I remember the old saying that if 3 people walk past a rattler, the first one wakes it up, the second one makes it angry, and the third one gets bit. That and always hike with someone who's slower than you when in bear country.

JamesLyding wrote:Azbackpackr, you are unlikely to see any rattlesnakes anytime soon because they're probably hibernating.

I nearly always see at least one in the last couple weeks of November. Last year it was near between Safford and Morenci pretty high up, in fairly cold weather (air temps in the 40s), but with sun on the south-facing slope. Lower elevations in the Supes will still have plenty if you know where to look. I've seen a sidewinder in SW AZ in the week between Christmas and New Year.

Yes, one doesn't require much hibernating if one lives around Yuma. This is why the place is already full of Canadians, Oregonians, Washingtonians, Minnesotans, and other migrating species.

azbackpackr wrote:Yes, one doesn't require much hibernating if one lives around Yuma. This is why the place is already full of Canadians, Oregonians, Washingtonians, Minnesotans, and other migrating species.

White Mountainians? ;)

desert spirit wrote:I always seem to encounter them when I least expect them, and not looking for them. So my theory is ... look for them. That way, it's certain that I won't see them ..

This approach has seemed to work quite well for me. I've only been hiking out in the Supes since this Spring and have only seen one rattler, a Mohave Green in Upper Fish Creek Canyon somewhat near the road. My friend had just been there the day before and saw the exact same rattler in the the exact same spot. We surmise it was a momma snake protecting her eggs but no way to know for sure without a dead snake or dead humans so we left her be. Since then, when it has been snake season, I have always kept an eye out for em and never once seen or heard them. Especially when on overgrown trails, I would usually take my hiking pole to stir anything up when I have to pass by thick vegetation and still nothing. I'm sure next year won't be the same though and I just had an overwhelming abundance of luck this year.

rushthezeppelin wrote:My friend had just been there the day before and saw the exact same rattler in the the exact same spot. We surmise it was a momma snake protecting her eggs

Just a fun fact, Rattlesnakes don't actually lay eggs, they give birth to live young, which is actually common among snakes, many are live bearing, most notably Garter Snakes and Rattlesnakes are the snakes we are likely to run into on the trail that give live birth.

I think I'm up to nearly a thousand miles of Arizona hiking and have seen 4 snakes total, only 2 of which were rattlesnakes, and only 1 rattled at me. Others go on a single hike and see 6 snakes. So...either I have really bad eyesight and hearing, or it is just random. I think not hiking really early in the day (when snakes are likely to be on the trail sunning themselves to warm up) and not hiking much during the late spring-early fall (prime snake season) help as well.

rally_toad wrote:

rushthezeppelin wrote:My friend had just been there the day before and saw the exact same rattler in the the exact same spot. We surmise it was a momma snake protecting her eggs

Just a fun fact, Rattlesnakes don't actually lay eggs, they give birth to live young, which is actually common among snakes, many are live bearing, most notably Garter Snakes and Rattlesnakes are the snakes we are likely to run into on the trail that give live birth.

Heh, didn't know they were one of the snakes that gave live birth. Why would a snake be chilling in the same spot I wonder then. I mean I know it had to have been cuz on the way to the spot he saw it he was talking about it. Knew exactly where it was. This was also late Summer too so it's not like it was trying to hibernate I don't think.

nonot wrote:I think I'm up to nearly a thousand miles of Arizona hiking and have seen 4 snakes total, only 2 of which were rattlesnakes, and only 1 rattled at me. Others go on a single hike and see 6 snakes. So...either I have really bad eyesight and hearing, or it is just random. I think not hiking really early in the day (when snakes are likely to be on the trail sunning themselves to warm up) and not hiking much during the late spring-early fall (prime snake season) help as well.

Maybe your just a stealth hiker and never wake them up as you go by!

rushthezeppelin wrote:Why would a snake be chilling in the same spot I wonder then.

Maybe that was his or her favorite morning basking spot too warm up in. Maybe its find plentiful food in that area, impossible to know for sure since I don't speak Rattlesnake.

nonot wrote:I think I'm up to nearly a thousand miles of Arizona hiking and have seen 4 snakes total

They are definitely out there, but you just don't see them, I'm sure for every one snake we see, we pass within ten feet of 10 more we don't see. But I do tend to be a hiker that runs into a fairly good number of snakes. Here's where I've run into the most.
The superstitions,
Usery Mountain Area,
Santa Catalinas.
The time your most likely to see them, after dark during the summer, especially during monsoons, spring and fall during the day when temperatures are mild. But then again you can run into them anytime, just over a week ago I saw one in the supes, the only snake I've seen out in December, and he wasn't lethargic by any means. He was fast.

In response to rally_toad:

You seriously saw a snake in the supes this late Man I thinking some people must just magnetically draw these darn snakes in.....thank goodness I'm not one of those people (at least so far it seems).