Arizona Sistrurus

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AZherper
Posts: 19
Joined: August 31st, 2015, 8:53 am

Arizona Sistrurus

Post by AZherper »

Just wanted to make a short post with a shot of a Sistrurus from last night in Cochise County, Arizona. It was a great night with 33 snakes overall including a hognose and a few of these guys. It was very exciting cruising up this threatened, range-restricted species which in Arizona is confined to a few small patches of relictual tobosa grassland in the Southeast corner of the state.

ImageSistrurus tergeminus edwardsii (desert massassauga) by wyman.jules, on Flickr

All best,
Jules
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ThamnElegans24
Posts: 406
Joined: November 23rd, 2010, 6:44 pm
Location: Mesa, Arizona

Re: Arizona Sistrurus

Post by ThamnElegans24 »

Congratulations on a great find! They are such cool little critters.
AZherper
Posts: 19
Joined: August 31st, 2015, 8:53 am

Re: Arizona Sistrurus

Post by AZherper »

ThamnElegans24 wrote:Congratulations on a great find! They are such cool little critters.
Thank you! I agree, they were awesome to see.
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Bryan Hamilton
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Joined: June 10th, 2010, 9:49 pm

Re: Arizona Sistrurus

Post by Bryan Hamilton »

Very nice! I've herped that area before and I'm glad to hear its still possible to find numbers like that. Love Sisturus!
AZherper
Posts: 19
Joined: August 31st, 2015, 8:53 am

Re: Arizona Sistrurus

Post by AZherper »

Bryan Hamilton wrote:Very nice! I've herped that area before and I'm glad to hear its still possible to find numbers like that. Love Sisturus!

Thank you very much, it's a cool area for sure. It was my first time herping that particular road, and I'm happy it turned out to be so productive. And Sistrurus are sweet. One of my favorite finds of 2016 for sure.
Matt Arnold
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Joined: August 14th, 2011, 6:26 pm
Location: North Alabama

Re: Arizona Sistrurus

Post by Matt Arnold »

Great shot! And 33 snakes? I think i'd have a heart attack. :D
FrogO_Oeyes
Posts: 60
Joined: February 4th, 2013, 7:43 pm

Re: Arizona Sistrurus

Post by FrogO_Oeyes »

Good finds! We were there briefly last May, but didn't have the information I do now, or I think we'd have spent some time searching. I think all we saw in that area was some kangaroo rats, several which I caught for return to a zoo in NC. Most of our time was spent between Douglas and the Chiricahuas, and as I recall, it was icy cold at the crack of dawn east of the NM line. Try some more in that area, it'd be nice to see some Lampropeltis gentilis [celaenops]!
AZherper
Posts: 19
Joined: August 31st, 2015, 8:53 am

Re: Arizona Sistrurus

Post by AZherper »

FrogO_Oeyes wrote:Good finds! We were there briefly last May, but didn't have the information I do now, or I think we'd have spent some time searching. I think all we saw in that area was some kangaroo rats, several which I caught for return to a zoo in NC. Most of our time was spent between Douglas and the Chiricahuas, and as I recall, it was icy cold at the crack of dawn east of the NM line. Try some more in that area, it'd be nice to see some Lampropeltis gentilis [celaenops]!
A reason to come back is always good! Did you get any spectabilis? I love those guys.
The area is a bit far from Tucson but I'm sure I'll make it back a few times. A gentilis would be insane, those are VERY tough in Cochise County.
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Jeff
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Joined: June 11th, 2010, 6:01 am
Location: Louisiana

Re: Arizona Sistrurus

Post by Jeff »

"a few of these guys"

Well that is fantastic. I found three on that road, all in late June. Most people hit it during the monsoons with no luck. Maybe the massasaugas have a different activity regime than the other rattlesnakes in that vicinity.

Jeff
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