Timber rattlesnake hitchhiked across nation and got stuck in Arizona, expert says
Finding a timber rattlesnake in Arizona is like finding an alligator in Idaho — they’re not native to the western U.S.
Yet one of the venomous snakes was recently found in Phoenix, snuggled up to propane tanks on a warehouse loading dock.
Marissa Maki of Rattlesnake Solutions is the one who got the call to come catch the snake, and it was a rare case where a pro was stumped by what she saw.
“I had to do a double take. I knew right away it was a non-native rattlesnake,” Maki told McClatchy News.
“After getting a better look, I was able to identify it as a timber rattlesnake, which I had never seen before,” she said. “I lost my mind a little. I’m pretty sure those people thought I was crazy. I was so excited and started asking a lot of questions about their business to narrow down how it got there.”
There are no timber rattlesnakes in the wild west of the Great Plains, putting the snake as far as 2,500 miles outside of its turf, according to Bryan Hughes, founder of Rattlesnake Solutions.
He admits being shocked, too, and says it may count as “the only record of a timber rattlesnake showing up in Arizona for any reason.”
The snake was around 11 inches long (likely a newborn) and “1,500-2,500 miles from home,” Hughes told McClatchy News.
Hughes has a theory as to how it got to Arizona: It likely hitchhiked.
“Based on the industrial area where it was found, it came to Arizona in a truck,” he said. “At some point, she must have wandered into a loading dock and slipped into a shipping container. I’m not sure exactly what kind of vehicle it would have been since there are a variety that come and go each day.”
Arizona has more than its share of rattlesnakes — 13 species, “far more than any other state.”
But the timber rattlesnake is not among them, Hughes said.
Because it doesn’t belong in Arizona, Rattlesnake Solutions opted not to follow protocol and release the snake into one of the state’s wilderness areas, he said.
Instead, it was added to Rattlesnake Solutions’ educational outreach reptile collection, which includes about 100 snakes.
“This little timber rattlesnake has quite a story and might help soften hearts of people who say they hate rattlesnakes,” Hughes said.
“Animals sometimes need help, just like we all do from time to time. ... It is in my possession now and it will live a long life.”
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