Why do I love Az...?

Because even in established neighborhoods, the desert will never let you forget that its there. Just because they knocked down a few cacti and built houses there doesn't mean that the desert life disappeared

This guy decided to set up camp right outside my sliding glass door. I was on my way to have a cigarette on my back porch, and had my hand on the door when I heard the rattle. Instinctively, I jumped back and looked down. On the ground was this pretty little Diamondback, doing his stereotypical Diamondback rear. Of course, I took it as a perfect photo shoot. Good thing I cleaned the sliding glass door earlier! Not too many people get this close to a grumpy Diamondback

With no snake tongs (only a 2 foot hook) I called the Herp Association immediately, and enlisted the help of my good buddy Jerry to relocate this guy. I love rattlers, but I'm sure my dog wants to go outside sometime soon. Plus we just have too many curious kids around this neighborhood. He'll have a better life in the desert than around here anyway. Good thing I found him instead of someone that would just shoot him or lop his head off!

As far as Diamondbacks go, he's a looker. Has some lovely red tones on him!

He's lovely, very good pictures of him.

You lucky dog!
Of all my trips out west I still have yet to see a rattlesnake in the wild - and here they are coming right to your door for you!

They are beautiful. I work for the city's Parks Dept. Our employees know not to kill rattlers and to give me a call so I can relocate them. Love the pics.

Tony

Nice find Jynx, although he seems to have found you!:cheers:

Beautiful snake! Nice shot through the glass, too. I do miss Arizona a bit. I remember one night I was halfway up the side of a mountain, on the edge of the desert out by the Sonoran Desert Museum, when I saw a rattler coming out from under a rock nearby. Just sat real still for a few, before slowly edging back. Never rattled at me. Only time I've been rattled at was on horseback. Horse went nuts, sadly ended up killing the snake...came down right on it with his feet. Lucky shot, I guess. Scared the heck out of him, me, and everyone else with us.

Hey, Jynx!

You mean to tell me that I missed him by ONE DAY!!! I would have gladly relocated him for you! That's one of the things I do here at the kid's home I work at. Everyone knows to call me so that I can catch whatever snake or "weird" creature they find in or around their homes. Thus far, I've helped to relocate about 12 rattlers, 3 coachwhips, numerous night snakes and 4 kings. LOL. They're all great!

Nice pics too. In some of the photos, he looks HUGE. It isn't until the last photo, when he's at the bottom of the bucket, that you get some true indication of size. LOL.

Glad you didn't step on him!

Sorry Fred! I'll keep your number around just in case I have any future rattly friends come knocking at my door!! He really wasn't that long... 3ft give or take (that bucket isn't the size of a normal construction bucket) but man was he well fed!

Ciara I can't count how many times my horses have kicked or stomped rattlers! My old horse Sadar used to out of his way to run one down sometimes, or so it seemed.

Gorgeous find!

What a beauty! Glad you had someone to call to safely remove him out to "the wild." I had a horse/snake encounter once. I don't remember what the snake was, probably a big garter since I was in Minnesota. I was riding down a single track path through long grass when my horse, an app, went ballistic! Striking the ground in front of him with all his force, with both feet. Poor snake didn't have a chance. I didn't even know what set him off till it was all over.

How amazing! If it was a non snake lover that found it, then what are the chances of it still being alive....

Haha, I showed this picture to my boyfriend, and he laughed and said that that's something I would play with. I'm yet to see a rattler on land, I've only ever seen them swimming, and that was once, and probably the biggest wild snake I've ever seen. Luckily you heard it before you felt it. It's a gorgeous animal, and these are amazing pictures!

Tula_Montage said:

How amazing! If it was a non snake lover that found it, then what are the chances of it still being alive....

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Just about ZERO! People are ALWAYS killing them around here. You always hear the "the only good snake is a dead snake" mantra. I really, really try to teach people that we need them or we'd be infested with rodents. That's one of the reasons I go to the schools nearby (when they ask) to give presentations using some of my snakes. If we can teach them when they're young...

IF I didn't work at a kids home and have my own kids around, I'd be sorely tempted to work with some hots. But as it is, its not an option now. LOL.

Yes! Way to go with relocation! Arizona is by far the best state in the US. (Then again I'm quite biased.)