Rattlesnake looked familiar, AZ biologist says. Turns out they met years before
A familiar rattlesnake slithered into a biologist's campsite near a ghost town in Arizona.
Turns out, the biologist moved the same rattlesnake out of the same camp four years earlier, the Arizona Game & Fish Department said in a June 17 Facebook post.
Ryan O'Donnell was surveying for willow flycatchers, a small and slender bird, with intern Abbie Brozich near Signal, when they saw the Western diamondback rattlesnake.
'We first spotted it passing under our truck, and we watched it for a few minutes and took a few pictures before moving it to a nearby wash,' O'Donnell told the wildlife agency.
After O'Donnell moved the snake away from their campsite, he said he kept thinking about a different time he moved a snake.
When he got home, he went through old photos and realized why he felt deja vu.
He had encountered the same snake four years earlier when he moved it from the same campsite, wildlife officials said.
'I'm glad to see it is still doing well, four years later, and that the short detours I've sent it on haven't been any more than an inconvenience,' O'Donnell said.
Western diamondback rattlesnakes are venomous and found in Southern California, Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas.
They can be spotted by their 'triangular-shaped head' and black and white striped tails before their rattles, according to New Mexico Historic Sites.
These rattlesnakes can grow 3 to 7 feet long.
Signal is an abandoned town about a 145-mile drive northwest from Phoenix.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Miami Herald
13 hours ago
- Miami Herald
Rattlesnake looked familiar, AZ biologist says. Turns out they met years before
A familiar rattlesnake slithered into a biologist's campsite near a ghost town in Arizona. Turns out, the biologist moved the same rattlesnake out of the same camp four years earlier, the Arizona Game & Fish Department said in a June 17 Facebook post. Ryan O'Donnell was surveying for willow flycatchers, a small and slender bird, with intern Abbie Brozich near Signal, when they saw the Western diamondback rattlesnake. 'We first spotted it passing under our truck, and we watched it for a few minutes and took a few pictures before moving it to a nearby wash,' O'Donnell told the wildlife agency. After O'Donnell moved the snake away from their campsite, he said he kept thinking about a different time he moved a snake. When he got home, he went through old photos and realized why he felt deja vu. He had encountered the same snake four years earlier when he moved it from the same campsite, wildlife officials said. 'I'm glad to see it is still doing well, four years later, and that the short detours I've sent it on haven't been any more than an inconvenience,' O'Donnell said. Western diamondback rattlesnakes are venomous and found in Southern California, Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas. They can be spotted by their 'triangular-shaped head' and black and white striped tails before their rattles, according to New Mexico Historic Sites. These rattlesnakes can grow 3 to 7 feet long. Signal is an abandoned town about a 145-mile drive northwest from Phoenix.
American Press
3 days ago
- American Press
Nancy W. Taylor
Nancy W. Taylor, 83, beloved sister, aunt and friend passed away peacefully on May 31, 2025, in Lake Charles, La. Raised in Chatham, N.J., Nancy was the cherished daughter of Homer and Elizabeth Williamson and the youngest of their three children. Her older brothers, Homer 'Britt' and George, adored her and were fiercely protective of her. After years on the East Coast, Nancy made her way to the Gulf Coast; Texas then Louisiana. Hackberry, La. was where she truly made her home before moving to Lake Charles Care Center. Hackberry and Vero Beach, Fla. were the two places that always held a special place in her heart. Nancy lived simply and built a life grounded in care and connection. She spent many years selling Avon products, bringing beauty and confidence to her community. In time, Nancy embraced a deeper role as a caregiver, watching over generations of children and the elderly with a gentle, loving presence. A calm and reserved soul, Nancy enjoyed reading and watching old Western movies; quiet pleasures that reflected her steady and enduring spirit. Nancy also had a special love for her cats, caring for them with the same devotion and tenderness she shared with the people in her life. Nancy valued the friendships she formed in Louisiana, where friends became like family. She always tried to see the best in people, offering kindness and understanding even when life was challenging. In her sunset years, she especially treasured the visits and interactions she had with her friends and Lake Charles Care Center staff. Nancy was predeceased by her parents; her husband, Chalies, and her brother, Britt. She is survived by her brother, George, as well as several nieces, nephews, grandnephews and a great-grandniece who carry her memory in their hearts. A memorial service will be held at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, June 22, 2025, at Johnson Funeral Home in Sulphur. Visitation is from 12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. Friends and those who lives were touched by Nancy are warmly invited to gather. Cremation has been entrusted to Johnson Funeral Home of Sulphur. Nancy W. Taylor will be deeply missed but lovingly remembered by all who knew her. Words of comfort may be expressed to the family at
The Hill
5 days ago
- The Hill
Activists urge Colorado to ban commercial sale of furs taken from state wildlife
Environmental activists are demanding that Colorado Parks and Wildlife prohibit the commercial sale of wildlife furs, filing a citizen rulemaking petition urging swift action on Monday. Contrary to the vast protections granted by Colorado to other animals, the Centennial State currently allows the for-profit sale of furs from all species deemed 'furbearers,' according to the Center for Biological Diversity, which filed the petition. Among the state's furbearers are beavers, ringtails, red foxes, pine martens and bobcats, as well as swift foxes, which is a species of special concern in the state, the group noted. 'Auctioning off piles of pelts from native animals is a relic of an era that drove iconic species, like beavers and bison, to the brink,' Samantha Miller, senior carnivore campaigner for the Center for Biological Diversity, said in a statement. Miller emphasized the need for Colorado to align with the policies of the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation — a set of principles that many agencies use to guide their wildlife management and conservation protocols. One key tenet of this model is the prohibition of commercial sales of wildlife, as such practices have hastened the declines and even extinctions of iconic species, the organization warned. Although the petition calls for the elimination of wildlife fur commercialization, it does include some exceptions for hand-tied fishing flies crafted with incidental fur and for traditional Western felted hats, in recognition of the cultural importance of these items. The petition also does not affect sales at stores that sell products with factory-farmed fur, as opposed to that of animals in the wild. 'Our state needs to modernize wildlife management to confront today's biodiversity crisis,' Miller said. Advancing a statewide regulation, as opposed to targeted local policies, would ensure uniformity and avoid the creation of a 'patchwork' of ordinances that cause enforcement difficulties, according to the petition. The document also stressed that a ban on commercial fur sales would remain 'consistent with the big game commercial hunting ban' upheld by Colorado, where it is a felony to sell or purchase big game. After receiving the petition, Colorado Parks and Wildlife then must review the document and recommend to the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission — the decisionmaker on citizen rulemaking petitions — whether the request should be denied or granted. The Hill has reached out to Colorado Parks and Wildlife for comment.
