Arizona Black Rattlesnake

[Jim Covello]

My all-time favorite rattlesnake so far!  They live high up (this one was at 6000+ feet...call it 2000m). Found him barring the path on a very grueling hike in the Santa Catalina mountains in Tucson, Arizona. If I had only had something longer than the 24-85!  It is cropped a bit.

Isn't he gorgeous!  (Could be a she...didn't ask.)

[pluton]

Rattlesnake encounters always add excitement to an excursion.  This shot has an admirable lack of camera shake.

[paullgj]

Great shot.  Impressive!  Now a question for you.  I'm planning some hiking trips in the Gila River Wilderness area in New Mexico, sometime later in the year, when the monsoon rolls in, to get dramatic sky shots.  How concerned should I be about running into one of these critters on the trail?  Snake bite on the hike several miles in from the trailhead is not something to take lightly.  I noticed you were 6,000 ft. plus in elevation.

Thanks.

Gene, Brownsville, Texas

[Woodley Willie]

That sound is one you won't forget....

[Jim Covello]

Rattlesnake encounters always add excitement to an excursion.  This shot has an admirable lack of camera shake.

Could be the VR...

Great shot.  Impressive!  Now a question for you.  I'm planning some hiking trips in the Gila River Wilderness area in New Mexico, sometime later in the year, when the monsoon rolls in, to get dramatic sky shots.  How concerned should I be about running into one of these critters on the trail?  Snake bite on the hike several miles in from the trailhead is not something to take lightly.  I noticed you were 6,000 ft. plus in elevation.

Fortunately rattlesnakes usually make noise if they are worried about you. I wouldn't be dissuaded from a hike because of them. You are a lot more likely to break an ankle if you aren't watching where you put your feet, which gives you incentive to watch where you step. I worry most about checking around a rock that I am about to sit on, etc.  I am always really careful if I step off the trail to take a picture; rattlesnakes are pretty hard to see in any kind of brush. I always hike with a staff, which is handy for pushing aside bushes and cactus among other things.

Enjoy your hike!

(I always get a lot more nervous when I snorkel...I am joining the food chain when I go in the ocean.)

That sound is one you won't forget....

...especially when you mash an aluminum can with the end of a sledgehammer on your concrete garage floor and one is hiding four feet away... . (They are very touchy about vibrations.)

[armando_m]

Impressive shot , the snake looks more than ready to strike

[CS]

Great shot.  Impressive!  Now a question for you.  I'm planning some hiking trips in the Gila River Wilderness area in New Mexico, sometime later in the year, when the monsoon rolls in, to get dramatic sky shots.  How concerned should I be about running into one of these critters on the trail?  Snake bite on the hike several miles in from the trailhead is not something to take lightly.  I noticed you were 6,000 ft. plus in elevation.

Thanks.

Gene, Brownsville, Texas

You are subject to encounter a rattler anywhere in the desert wilderness, with shaded areas a favorite spot for them, in the warmer months, such as monsoon season. Perhaps a greater threat to you would be flash floods since you are going during monsoon season. Both hazards can ruin the best laid plans.

I think New Mexico has 9 species of rattlesnakes, while here in Arizona we have the largest collection in the US at 13 different varieties. Ooops, make that 17 varieties here.

[CS]

Impressive shot , the snake looks more than ready to strike

+1

[Ron Scubadiver]

Nice one. 

[Andrea B.]

Woooooooowwwwww !!!!!!!!!

I used to live in Arizona but never saw this kind of black rattler before. Only some kind of light coloured ones around the Saguaro East area. We had rattlers over in Oklahoma and New Mexico where I also used to live. They are fascinating but scarey snakes for sure.

[pluton]

I would never let the expected presence of rattlesnakes deter me from going on a hike in the southwest USA.  It is important to remember that the venomous snakes of North America, the vast number of which are pit vipers, are not considered aggressive.  This means that when they are alerted and agitated by your presence, they will warn you, and possibly strike defensively if provoked, but they are not known for actively pursuing and attacking, and are likely to turn and escape when they have the chance.

[Andrea B.]

It's when you go to step out the door and discover one laying lying there just ready to be stepped on that you get a little shaky afterwards! This happened once to me with a rattler and once with a tarantula. We soon learned to always look before putting a hand or foot anyplace. And never turn over a rock in the desert to see what is underneath. 

I loved living out there.
 

[CS]

I would never let the expected presence of rattlesnakes deter me from going on a hike in the southwest USA.  It is important to remember that the venomous snakes of North America, the vast number of which are pit vipers, are not considered aggressive.  This means that when they are alerted and agitated by your presence, they will warn you, and possibly strike defensively if provoked, but they are not known for actively pursuing and attacking, and are likely to turn and escape when they have the chance.

I wasn't trying to scare Gene off, but he did ask, and he needs to be aware of the risks. We get about 50 bites a year here in Arizona, and every one of the victims was surprised at being bitten. Stuff happens. 

[David H. Hartman]

jaanco,

Did the snake rattle? If so how loud?

Dave Hartman

---

I once encountered a rattle snake at night in a freeway construction site. I never saw the snake. It was very loud so it must have been very close. I returned from whence I came without a second's hesitation. The snake wasn't happy (if rattle snakes ever are). It was probably coiling for a strike. It was most likely a Pacific Rattlesnake.

Rattlesnakes don't want to strike a human or any large mammal and waste their venom. It's purely defensive. They will retreat or remain motionless if a threat is far enough away. They don't always rattle; it's their call. They sometimes sun themselves on paths so keeping a sharp eye on where one steps is advised. I was out that night without a flashlight which was really stupid.

I've seen a similar rattlesnake to the one pictured in the Angeles National Forest of So. California. I don't think it could have been the Arizona species. Maybe a related species? The altitude was probably about 5,000' (1,525m).

Dave

[Jakov Minić]

Commendable bravery!
Lovely brown tones, well done!