Shortly after we were told about a new social rattlesnake den, we hiked in to check it out, saw one Western Diamond-backed Rattlesnake (Crotalus atrox), and decided to set up one of our timelapse cameras. We were a little surprised at all the activity in just the first two days of our monitoring. Here are all the reptiles we spotted.
Sonoran Whipsnake
This is a juvenile Sonoran Whipsnake (Coluber bilineatus). The closely related Striped Whipsnake (Coluber taeniatus) often shares dens with Arizona Black Rattlesnakes (Crotalus cerberus).
Gila Monster
A Gila Monster (Heloderma suspectum)! It is not unusual for Gila Monsters to share dens with Western Diamond-backed Rattlesnakes and Sonoran Desert Tortoises (Gopherus morafkai). However, this Gila checks out the den only to turn around and leave. Could they be looking for a date? It’s awfully late in the year for Gilas to be out and about.
Western Patch-nosed Snake
This was the first Western Patch-nosed Snake (Salvadora hexalepis) we saw in one of our snake dens. He appears to check the den out before moving on. Future videos may show if this snake continues to use the den.
There were a couple feathered reptiles (birds) here too. Who else will show up at the new den? Check out Sharing for a few more!
