Year of the Snake - No.42 Mojave Rattlesnake

Crotalus scutulatus

Mojave rattlesnake (or mohave) in lizard trap of death

When I go hiking in the desert near our house, one of my favorite spots to check for reptiles is the "Lizard Trap of Death," a pipe that comes out of the ground with a metal lid on it.  They go under the lid to get away from the sun, fall into the pipe and can't escape. So I usually check the pipe so I can rescue any lizards trapped there.

Recently, my dad, my friend Jack and I went out to check it. When my friend moved the lid, we heard a buzzing from inside the pipe.

We looked in and there was my first Mojave rattlesnake.

These are my favorite snakes in the world. They are very pretty and some scientists consider them to be the most dangerous snakes in North America. They have a very interesting venom that changes depending on their range. In some places it is neurotoxic (nerve-affecting) venom. In others, it's hemotoxic (blood and tissue-affecting) venom. And in some places, it is a combination of both in the same snake!

This was a pretty young snake. It was old enough to rattle but not very long. He seemed very angry when we first lifted up the lid. But he calmed down later. He was rescued with a snake hook, photographed, and left to be.

Year of the Snake - No. 41 Juvenile Western Diamondback

Crotalus atrox

On September 19, I went out to do my usual rock-flipping patrol -- we have a lot of rocks around the house and I go out to turn them regularly. I hadn't found any snakes under those rocks but I usually find a scorpion or two.

I turned over a rock and saw a tarantula in a cocoon. I knelt down to pick it up. I looked to my left and saw--just 5 inches from knee--this pretty, little diamondback. It was an example that snakes aren't all out to get you, because I was within easy striking range.

We kept checking on him all day. Later, we decided to capture him to show to our homeschool co-op. We kept him for a few days then released him further from the house.

I hope that showing him to the group helped lessen their fears about snakes.

The snake was about 12 inches long. He was a neonate, and could not even rattle yet.