Mojave Desert Sidewinder

Picture taken 4-17-08, late afternoon, about 80 degrees.

     The family went out wandering at one of my favorite places, just off Black Rock Exit, AZ. We expected to see a horned toad, some cactus flowers in bloom, or some fossils. We have been here several times before, and usually have seen something new each time, but we were not expecting to see this venomous surprise!
     We almost walked right over the top of it! I was so excited to find one because I had actually been out looking for one before and never could find one. But, now that we had found one so close to where we were walking, it was a little scary knowing how poisonous they are, and how quickly they can strike.
     I was pretty happy to get a nice picture of it from a safe distance, but Cameron and James wanted to hear it rattle, which it did very willingly! It eventually slithered into a small nearby bush with grass under it to get away. It obviously didn't want to play!
     It was really neat to happen upon this snake, it make my day!

     Learn about Sidewinders:

     When sidewinder young are born, they stay with their mother in a burrow for 7-10 days, and while they are there, they shed their first skin. Then they leave to live on their own.
     Juveniles will use their tail to attract lizards to eat. Adults lose this behavior as they make the transition from lizard prey to their main diet of desert rodents.
     Sidewinders are a type of rattlesnake, or pit viper, and they are relatively small compared to other rattlesnakes. The sidewinder that we found was about 2  1/2 feet long. Other types of rattlesnakes can get a whole lot longer than sidewinders!
     All rattlesnakes give birth to live young, instead of laying eggs. They eat desert rodents, like pocket mice or kangaroo rats. They also eat lizards and sometimes birds. They are usually nocturnal in the hottest months, but they can be seen in the daytime, like this one was, when it's not so hot.
     Sidewinders bury themselves in the sand to wait for prey. They have upturned and pointed "horn" scales above each eye. These scales may help shade their eyes from the sun, or prevent the sand from drifting over their eyes while they are buried in it.
     When they move sideways, they leave "S" or "J" shaped markings in the sand. Each shedding adds another knob to their rattle, and sometimes, the rattle breaks off.