Hear This in Your Backyard, Arizona? Get Out Immediately!

The best part of living in Arizona: the weather gets warm. Fast.

The worst part of living in Arizona: the weather gets warm. Fast.

Aside from the obvious "the sun is ripping my face off" references we make sometime around late May-ish until roughly September or so, the warm weather has another side effect: the summer critters wake up early in these here parts.

Seeing cottontails out for an early morning snack in my backyard is cute, charming, even. Finding a rattlesnake under the woodpile is another matter entirely.

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I know to steer clear. After all, I have a modicum of common sense (just a "modicum"; I don't want to oversell my skillset here), but my Labrador Retriever? She's coming up with goose eggs in that department. She's cute and sweet, but when it comes to CHASING ALL THE THINGS, she can't help herself.

Is It Illegal to Kill a Rattlesnake in Arizona?

She loves to go barreling after bunny rabbits. Cute, yes. But yesterday, she found a snake, and that was not quite as endearing. Luckily, she found the right snake, because this could've been a much worse story.

Dog Versus Snake in Arizona

My horses were getting their monthly manicure, courtesy of my talented farriers. We were outside chatting with the guys while they worked, and my dogs were hanging out in the fenced, inner yard a short distance away.

Nilla, my yellow lab was running up and down the fenceline, barking and making her opinion known. She does not like to be on the wrong side of the fence when her humans are on the other side. Her sister, Latte, the chocolate lab/pit bull mix, was running with her for moral support.

Suddenly, Nilla became fixated on a something close to the house, barking even more urgently then before. We went to investigate.

She was nose to nose, barking like mad at a rather large snake.

From a distance, it was hard to tell what kind of snake it was. If the snake was a rattler, we could be in for some big trouble. Nilla wasn't backing down.

Rattlesnakes are Waking Up in Arizona: How to Stay Safe

What to Do if You Find a Rattlesnake in Your Backyard?

What would we do if we found a rattlesnake in our inner backyard? With the dogs running around and acting like fools, the first thing we did was separate them from the yard. The second thing we did was keep calm and figure out what kind of snake was hanging out.

This is what you should do if YOU find a rattlesnake on your property:

1. If you hear a rattlesnake or see it in your backyard, don't panic!
2. Do not run and do not approach the snake.
3. Back away slowly and clear the area IMMEDIATELY!
4. Call a professional snake removal service to capture and relocate the snake safely. The Phoenix Herpetological Society is a great resource.
5. If a rattlesnake bites you, contact 911. 
6. If a rattlesnake bites your dog, call your veterinarian immediately.

How to Identify a Snake in Your Arizona Backyard

After securing the dogs, we took a closer look. Here's a photo of the very angry serpent.

He was hissing, trying to strike with his head, and shaking his tail, trying his best to impersonate a rattlesnake.

In reality, he's a gopher snake (Pituophis catenifer). People often mistake them for rattlesnakes because their color and patterns are similar. However, they're non-venomous and help control rodent populations.

I was thrilled! First, I'm much more worried my (genius) dog will hurt him.

Second, he loves to snack on rodents, so as far as I'm concerned, he can live his best life in my yard for years to come. I just hope he's smart enough to steer clear of my dogs!

Sources: Phoenix Herpetological Society