ASP changes how people view and treat snakes
ASP changes how people view and treat snakes
Priscilla, Lois, and Arli (Arizona Black Rattlesnakes) spent their pregnancy together at a rookery from May through August, 2010. Arli moved away to a private nest shortly before giving birth, while Priscilla and Lois stayed at the rookery. On 30 August 2010 we observed Priscilla (pregnant adult female) discouraging House (neonate / newborn) from potential
A Rattlesnake Helper? Read More »
The week began with a visit from our dear friend Roger Repp, who wanted to check out our new study site and track some of the snakes. We had barely started our hike down Hot Springs Wash when we came across a very healthy looking Sonoran whipsnake (Coluber bilineatus). As is typical with this species,
A Sonoran whipsnake (Coluber bilineatus) at Muleshoe Ranch. Our first week of tracking was pretty uneventful. We release snakes as soon as possible after their transmitter implantation surgery so that they can recover in their habitat. So typically the first week or so is pretty slow; the snakes lay low while recovering and don’t make
One week to go and we haven’t found any Arizona black rattlesnakes yet (remember, we wanted six). The clock is ticking. On the afternoon of 26 September, I started my snake search by checking on the bird-eater. He was in his usual spot, waiting for a thirsty bird. I then hiked downstream in hot springs
The Arizona black rattlesnakes trickle in… Read More »
We arrived at Muleshoe Ranch at ~13:45 to meet with the manager and finalize plans for our new project. We are hoping to find 10 rattlesnakes in the next couple weeks: two western diamond-backed (Crotalus atrox), two black-tailed (C. molossus), and six Arizona blacks (C. cerberus). We got the grand tour of the ranch, including
(if you haven’t already, see part 1) When we left our 3 gophersnakes, Bluto had just interrupted courtship between Popeye and Olive Oyl and was biting Popeye repeatedly along his body. Popeye released his bite-grip on Olive Oyl and she fled so fast that we were unable to follow. Bluto continued biting Popeye, making him
Ménage à trois (part 2) Read More »
29 May 2011 – House Rock Valley – Northern Arizona In 1996, The Peregrine Fund reintroduced California condors to northern Arizona. Once down to a mere 22 captives, there are now nearly 200 condors flying free in the southwestern US. We visited northern Arizona in hopes of finding snakes beneath soaring condors. We learned of
Ménage à trois (part 1) Read More »
28 April: Molly basks briefly before leaving the security of the den to fulfill what is on every rattlesnake’s mind: the first meal of the year. It’s been over seven months since they’ve last had a chance to eat, so they’re probably quite hungry. Molly comes out first and coils on the left. The snake
One of our favorite snakes of 2010 has been spotted at the den! Alice was coiled next to a log a short distance away from the den the afternoon of 25 April: Alice. 25 April 2011 13:40 And later heading away to her hunting grounds for this year: Alice. 25 April 2011 16:13 Because she gave
She’s back: Alice! Read More »
*This story illustrates how we identify individual snakes and how important these aggregation sites are to the rattlesnakes. 29 May 2010. One of the first snakes marked at this site was Zona, a female less than a year old when we first encountered her. Zona was sitting on a downed log a few meters from
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