Ready? Set….R!

Today is brought to you by the letter R. I know that today’s post will be posted, since I’m using my desktop computer and not my laptop. Unfortunately, dear reader, I have discovered that my laptop is having issues. ~sigh~

ANYWAY…let’s talk rattlers since it’s R day! No, I’m not talking about rattles that babies play with, or rattle sounds that your vehicle may make while you’re driving. I’m talking about this kind of rattle…

Arizona Black Rattlesnake, Photographer: Erika Nowak, USGS

The last count I heard for the number of people being bitten by rattlers over the Easter weekend is five. Why? The U.S. tradition of hiding Easter eggs and having others (usually children) go find them.

Arizona is home to 13 different species of rattlesnakes – the most of any state in the U.S. They can live anywhere, and often live right along side us here in the Valley of the Sun. We’re fortunate that the valley has great weather most of the time, and there are lots of places to go hiking that are close to us. BUT that also means we have to share with these guys! The most dangerous of the 13 species here in the Sonoran Desert is the Mojave Rattlesnake.

We can live with these creatures – we just have to remember to NOT put things (like eggs, fingers, hands, etc.) in places a snake might like to take a nap in. Always pay attention to where you’re walking; both in front of you and along the sides. Always walk without headphones on, and stay off the cell phone so you can hear the rattle, rattle, rattle of their tails. And…if you should see one of our rattlers, back away slowly and go a different way. Remember – snakes are more scared of humans than we are of them!

Happy hiking! 🙂

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