Laughlin, Arizona....

[RandyRhoads420]

So I went out in the desert around 12 or 1 ( the hottest part of the day) and started poking around under bushes and rock outcroppings looking for rattlesnakes, and anything else. Saw lots of areas that to me looked perfect for snakes, lots of holes and areas under rock for them to hide. I did this for a couple hours and didn't see anything but one fence lizard. What gives, there's lots of native snakes but why didn't I find any.

[shaunyboy]

on most tv wildlife programmes ive watched,they always go out in the morning as the suns coming up.this is when most reptiles bask and get a heat in themselves.they usually go for a bit of shade when the suns at its hottest.ive seen snakes go deep under ground in dissused burrows etc, to get away from the heat.so im thinking it may be better if your out there early morning when its a little cooler.best of luck with your next trip out to the desert.i so wish i had something like that on my doorstep.
cheers shaun

[SlimeyLimey805]

i'd have to agree with shaunyboy on this, being that in an area as hot as AZ i'd imagine most of the native species are nocturnal and probably spend there days hiding under ground in old rodent burrows, crevasses what have you. as i learned from many years of religious croc hunter watching, there are two major benifits of searching for snakes in the early morning. 1) many snakes (even the nocturnal ones) stand at least a half way decent chance of being out and about to warm themselves up before the real intense heat you guys get sets on it and 2) because they've probably only recently emerged this also means they are likely to have less energy and there fore be easier to handle, examine, photograph, or do anything else you want to do on these outings. and being that you were looking for rattlers its probably best if they're not bursting with energy. idk about there in AZ but where i am in Cali just about all the rattlers i see are either in rocky out crop sort of areas (or man made equivalents like rubble and old building materials, or they seem to favor the high grassy areas where most of the gophers are (because some seem to enjoy moving in to the gophers homes after "dealing" with the current resident xp)

[RandyRhoads420]

OK thanks guys I'll be here for a few days so i'll get up and try the morning, and hopefully have some pics to post.

[Terence]

or evening, they tend to come out on the road in the evening while the pavement is still warm. Be careful, in AZ you have the WDB, very foul tempered, and in some parts of the state you have Mojave greens. Those can flat out kill you.

[infernalis]

I know our climates are a bit different, but I have all the best luck in the morning and early evening.

Just like previously stated....

[RandyRhoads420]

Ok hunted for a few hours in the afternoon, and i just returned from a night hunt. Didn't see anything but some ants on the night hunt. And the afternoon hunt i caught 2 lizards and a gecko. I know this is a SNAKE site but can anyone ID the lizards and gecko. The gecko looks kinda like a leopard gecko to me but a little different.

What are mojave greens? and at this point I'd almost welcome a bite just to prove they exist.....all I hear is how they're everywhere but have the worst luck finding them... was hoping to maybe catch a rosy while I'm here...

MEDITERRANEAN GECKO
Hemidactylus turcicus

[RandyRhoads420]

This big guy looks pregnant....

DESERT IGUANA Dipsosaurus dorsalis

[TylerWortman]

That would be a very weird if it was a big pregnant guy!

[Reptile_Reptile]

lololololololololololololololololololololololololo lolololol ha! nice