No, rattlesnakes are not "coming out early" as you may see online when there is a (very normal) rattlesnake sighting this time of year. Regardless of what your uncle and the local news may say, rattlesnakes showing up this time of year is entirely normal and expected.

Snake's Bloody Defense

Rattlesnake Going Home

Snake removal from yesterday. This beautiful Western Diamondback decided to take advantage of the wonderful cover found inside an open garage. The homeowner had left the garage open for several hours today and was alerted to the snake’s presence by the rattle.

Rattlesnake removal in Carefree, Arizona. The homeowner spotted this little Western Diamondback while taking out the trash. The garage door was right next to where the snake was seen, and there was a small gap in the corner that it may have used to slip in and out.

A Lucky Blacktailed Rattlesnake

TINY Baby Sidewinder

We've been doing this a long time, and we know what's coming. Dead phones all winter, then ALL AT ONCE. If "not having a rattlesnake in the backyard, again" is on the to-do list for this year, now is the time.

A rattlesnake call from yesterday. The homeowner and his dogs had just stepped into the backyard through the sliding glass door when they heard the unmistakable sound of a rattle.

The latest Rattlesnake Solutions newsletter is out: it's rattlesnake time, yet again, to the surprise of nobody. mailchi.mp/15cb7ec6ccd8...

In case you missed it, I talked with the Living in Arizona podcast about all things rattlesnake. For any Arizona homeowner (or wish to be one), there's a lot to learn. www.youtube.com/live/HTEeuIm...

Rattlesnake Season 2026 Starts

A Southwestern Speckled Rattlesnake hanging out in a drainage, as it does about every morning, during the lethally hot period of Arizona summer. For much of the year, rattlesnakes are largely nocturnal, encountered by hikers and homeowners only just after sunup and again after dark.

From the weekend: A Western Diamondback was spotted by the homeowner while she was picking up a package from the front porch in Glendale. The home sits right next to the dry New River riverbed and very close to a desert preserve, prime rattlesnake habitat.

Here are some relocation calls that aren’t the usual Western Diamondbacks or Sonoran Gophersnakes. Arizona is home to one of the highest reptile diversities in the country, and many of those species live right within Phoenix and Tucson city limits. youtu.be/U1kjHZjkDSc?...

A tiny Pine Woods Snake from Alabama a few years back.

Coralsnake Rhymes Don't Work in AZ

This large property is now protected from visits from rattlesnakes. On top of a hill covered in rock and dense vegetation, this is going to be a much easier-going summer than last. More information on Rattlesnake Fencing: rattlesnakesolutions.com/keep-snakes-... roc 321123

Kingsnakes are loved by people who even say they hate snakes. The reason is that they are one of several species of harmless snakes in Arizona that have rattlesnakes on the menu. They can tolerate the venom to a large degree.

Rattlesnake in a Garage

An Arizona Ridgenosed Rattlesnake (Crotalus willardi willardi) at the base of a tree in southeastern Arizona. This small rattlesnake species is relatively common in the mid-elevation oak forests of several of the sky island ranges.

Ringnecked Snakes are one of my personal favorites. They're relatively small, and can be amazingly brightly colored on their bellies. You'd never know it from above, with a subdued metal-grey body. They may also be missing the namesake ring around the neck.

A Great Basin Rattlesnake from one of the most remote areas of northwestern Arizona ... the kind of place that sees more low flying helicopters than trucks.

Glossysnakes are one of those snakes that a lot of people think they've seen, but relatively few really have. The reason is their visual resemblance to the much more common Sonoran Gophersnake.

Voted "Most Likely To Get Run Over By A Mountain Bike" in ... every year ... the patch-nosed snakes are often seen basking on dirt roads and trails in the mid-morning sun.

You see a snake for just a half second before it disappears into the bushes with astonishing speed. Was it ... bright pink? Ever see one? Post a photo in the comments.

A little Western Diamondback Rattlesnake captured in a Marana garage. This is the time of year that these sightings become common. Internally, we call this "garage rattlesnake season", as rattlesnakes begin to emerge from hibernation and make small movements to position for what is to come next.

Another gartersnake species found in the Phoenix area is less commonly seen than its black-necked relative. Checkered Gartersnakes can be found in the valley anywhere there's old irrigation or agriculture. The Buckeye area is where we've received the most reports. Seen one?

Displaced Rattlesnakes Roaming Around Arizona Home youtu.be/h_1O3hTV9q4

This little snake is an adult! Western Groundsnakes come in a variety of colors and patterns. The "red racers" that locals say they "used to catch when we were kids" are actually these ... the actual red racer (whose name is changing, more on that later) are Coachwhips, a very different animal.

When you're hiking in the mountains and see a green rattlesnake, it's not a "mojave greeeeen!", but one of these :) Blacktails are usually pretty chill, and one of the more commonly seen rattlesnake species by people active in the outdoors. At homes? Not so much ...

If you've ever walked a stream in southern Arizona and have spotted a small snake swimming around, it's likely one of these. Blacknecked Gartersnakes are commonly seen anywhere there's water, where they're busy getting after tadpoles and small fish.

Gila Monsters are one of those Arizona bucket list animals for naturalists around the world. A big misconception about them is that they spend most of their life "underground" or hiding. In reality they are both quite active, and common in many places.

A Speckled Racer (Drymobius margaritiferus) from a visit to South Texas last year. This species is found throughout Central America and just a bit into South America, ranging north to just barely enter the United States.

A pretty young Texas Indigo Snake we found on a visit to friends in South Texas last year.

This longnosed snake was skinny, but still managed to get stuck in a tiny hole in the exterior wall of the home.  After some gentle coaxing, a little cooking oil, and a lot of patience, our new friend is now resting comfortably in a warm and spacious pack rat nest. -Litchfield Park

We found this little Great Basin Rattlesnake in extreme northern Arizona. The Great Basin Desert is one of FOUR desert regions that converge in Arizona, each bringing diversity of rattlesnakes and other wildlife to the state.

Out in the complete darkness of the full Amazonian canopy, a South American Bushmaster. It's the largest and oldest of the New World Pitvipers. This photo is a flash misfire, but I like how it feels – this is a better idea of how this animal spends most of its time.

We have a new service ready, just in time for snakes to once again be a part of all our lives for the year. Keep it handy for all those "omg what snake is in my yard" posts that you'll see out there on your various social pages. azsnake.info rattlesnakesolutions.com/snakeblog/sn...

Josh found this little Smith's Blackheaded Snake while working on a Rattlesnake Fence near Tucson the other day. This isn't a baby – they're tiny animals, which eat even tinier ones (invertebrates).

A bright white and silver Speckled Rattlesnake from a desert boulder field in Baja California Norte, Mexico. This is among my personal favorite phenotypes of a very diverse species. Southwestern Speckled Rattlesnake (Crotalus pyrrhus) rattlesnakesolutions.com/SpeckledRatt...

For our state, your favorite old rhyme isn't as helpful as you may have thought. But, more importantly, how can a person actually tell the difference between a coralsnake and all the rest in Arizona? Here's our take. youtu.be/ZTXkKq6dgU4

We found this young glossysnake in Gila County on a warm evening. Often, Sonoran Gophersnakes are misidentified as this species. One notable trait to differentiate if up close is in its name.

Send this to someone who could use it! 24/7 Snake Removal & Prevention: Phoenix-metro: 480-237-9975 Tucson-metro: 520-308-6211 rattlesnakesolutions.com

Rattlesnake fencing has been added to this backyard, leaving no gap large enough for even a newborn rattlesnake to get through, or height climbable by the largest rattlesnake in the state. More information on Rattlesnake Fencing: rattlesnakesolutions.com/keep-snakes-... AZROC 321123

How Do You Get a Snake Out of THIS? youtu.be/M5O1SsHFxmI

Ok, weirdo. This is a Pipa pipa (Surinam Toad) I photographed in Peru a couple of weeks ago – there were a lot of them! rattlesnakesolutions.com/fieldherper/...

Snakes aren’t invincible predators. A single bite from a rodent can severely injure or even kill a snake. This is why venom exists: not just to kill prey, but to avoid dangerous physical fights. youtu.be/G8NvkykXBBI

How high does your snake fence need to be? Here's what we have learned, and why it matters.

An Arizona Black Rattlesnake we spotted on a late night search near Phoenix. These higher-elevation snakes are common in the central Arizona, where they are often misidentified as "Timber Rattlesnake", though no timber rattlesnakes live anywhere in the Western US.