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.
Sistrurus tergeminus edwardsii (desert massassauga) by wyman.jules, on Flickr
All best,
Jules
Arizona Sistrurus
Moderator: Scott Waters
- ThamnElegans24
- Posts: 406
- Joined: November 23rd, 2010, 6:44 pm
- Location: Mesa, Arizona
Re: Arizona Sistrurus
Congratulations on a great find! They are such cool little critters.
Re: Arizona Sistrurus
Thank you! I agree, they were awesome to see.ThamnElegans24 wrote:Congratulations on a great find! They are such cool little critters.
- Bryan Hamilton
- Posts: 1234
- Joined: June 10th, 2010, 9:49 pm
Re: Arizona Sistrurus
Very nice! I've herped that area before and I'm glad to hear its still possible to find numbers like that. Love Sisturus!
Re: Arizona Sistrurus
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.
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- Posts: 174
- Joined: August 14th, 2011, 6:26 pm
- Location: North Alabama
Re: Arizona Sistrurus
Great shot! And 33 snakes? I think i'd have a heart attack.
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- Posts: 60
- Joined: February 4th, 2013, 7:43 pm
Re: Arizona Sistrurus
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]!
Re: Arizona Sistrurus
A reason to come back is always good! Did you get any spectabilis? I love those guys.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]!
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.
Re: Arizona Sistrurus
"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
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