The Legend Of Airdropped Rattlesnakes Do state game agencies really introduce rattlesnakes by tossing them out of aircraft? Three experts weigh in on the facts, origin, and future of the enduring story. Throughout a herpetology career that has spanned more than 25 years at the Kentucky Reptile Zoo, biologist Kristin Wiley has heard one particular reptile fable crop up repeatedly. “All of New England, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, both Carolinas, Virginia — essentially the entire northeast part of the United States — I have had someone claim that it had happened there ..read more

The Age-Old Old-Age Question How long do they live? is one of the most common questions we get from the public about snakes. It might seem simple to estimate, but lifespan is influenced by many factors. I love this question because it is a good lead-in to ecological concepts and, of course, stories of individual wild snakes. And as we all well know, stories are a great way to relate to other beings. Double Y, a male Red Diamond Rattlesnake, was first observed in 1993, when he was at least three years old. He was seen 11 times over the next 23 years, most recently in 2016, when he was nearly 30 ..read more

Not all snake combat is as gentle as that of the Panamint Rattlesnakes described so beautifully by Ceal in The Art of Gentle Combat. In May 2011, we stumbled upon a Gophersnake love triangle and were shocked by their rough and ruthless tactics. Popeye courting Olive Oyl (Gophersnakes), in a brief moment of tenderness amidst all the fighting and chasing. We noticed a long, dark form on the dirt road from afar. We approached to find a Gophersnake (Bluto), whose chocolate-colored blotches contrasted against a pale yellow background. Bluto headed directly to a juniper at the road’s edge. By the ti ..read more

Understanding the Non-violent Sparring of Panamint Rattlesnakes Male Panamint Rattlesnakes spar in a popular basking area while a female observes in the background. Each spring, after six months of cold weather in the southwesternmost Great Basin Desert, Panamint Rattlesnakes emerge from rocky dens and knot together in the sun to bask, spar, and mate. And each spring, when I observe sparring or “combat rituals” between male Panamint Rattlesnakes, what strikes me most is how gentle such “combat” is. It’s sometimes difficult to distinguish between mating, sparring, and basking, but easy to tell ..read more

Decade of Demystifying Snakes! ASP turns 10 on 16 May 2024. Old Friends: snakes sighted more than 10 years after we first met them! Residents of Sweetwater, Texas received handwritten Rattlesnake Love Letters from children asking for a no-kill roundup. In-person presentations & displays Folks in rural southwest New Mexico and southeast Arizona learned about snake natural history, behavior, and how to safely coexist with them. Hotline calls & texts — just a few facts, a name, and a story can turn EEK! into AWW! Snake Peeks 10: Dig it! Western Patch-n ..read more

Every mom needs a day off. So the lucky (or smart?) rattlesnakes that nest in groups help each other out with maternal duties. If one is still pregnant, and thus needs to be on the surface basking, she attends to the newborns while the new mother stays in cover for a well-deserved rest. Priscilla was the first rattlesnake we observed exhibiting this baby-sitting behavior. You can read more about Priscilla and House in A Rattlesnake Helper? Male rattlesnakes occasionally help out in this way too. Although we’ve never observed any active care or protective behavior from males, just the pre ..read more

In a research project led by Masters student Erin Allison, we evaluated how different messaging strategies can improve attitudes about rattlesnakes. We used an online survey to evaluate the perceptions of a diverse group of 1,182 US adults before and after they watched either a relational or instrumental video about rattlesnakes. The relational video showcased rattlesnakes as creatures with complex social behaviors, emphasizing their roles as caring mothers and their interactions with other snakes. The instrumental video, in contrast, highlighted the role rattlesnakes play in the environment a ..read more

Sigma snuggles one of her babies (Arizona Black Rattlesnakes). There’s something special about moms, right? So, today’s post is about an under-appreciated group of moms (you guessed it), Arizona Black Rattlesnakes! Human moms – you think you have it tough? Rattlesnake maternal duties may only last a couple weeks, but during that time they may have to protect their kids from extreme temperatures, a suite of predators, annoying (and deadly?) squirrels, and clumsy humans with cameras… By the time they give birth, mother rattlesnakes likely haven’t eaten in weeks or even months, but they wait anot ..read more

Snakes Are Everything #10 Hiral Naik, a snake ecologist that works at the interface between science and conservation, will speak about some of the unique traits that snakes possess that allow them to inhabit and adapt to different ecosystems. From fangs and teeth to how they conceal, snakes truly are evolutionary marvels. Register to join us live and participate in the Q&A on Thursday 8 June at 10:30 am PDT / 1:30 pm EDT / 5:30pm GMT. Register ..read more

Article in the New York Times on social reptiles! Online classes and workshops In-person displays & presentations Hotline calls & texts Snake rescues Coexisting With Pitvipers Symposium! We had our first Rock Rattlesnake rescue this year. This shy little girl was preventing the homeowners from getting in their front door. Signatures submitted to the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries to End The Lake Providence Snake Rodeo Interactions on Facebook and Instagram Hours watched on our YouTube channel Melissa introduces ..read more