1st Response Wildlife - Tucson's Humane Animal Trapping & Removal Services

Rattlesnake Danger Inside Homes!-1st Response Wildlife Responds

Arizona is home to 13 species of rattlesnakes and several dozen subspecies.  In southern Arizona, probably the most prevalent rattlesnake a homeowner, hiker, or rancher encounters is the Western Diamondback.  Rattlesnakes can be observed, starting in the spring, in a whole variety of locations such as crossing the road, on your patio, under a bush, along a wall, or crossing a trail.

1^st Response Wildlife has recently been involved in 2 very dangerous rattlesnake service calls where homeowners encountered Western Diamondbacks inside their homes.

The most serious happened in a home out near the base of the Rincon Mountains.  It seems that a basement, rarely used, had become invaded by packrats.  Over the winter, rattlers had been drawn to that location by the packrats and by the fact that, via an opening to the outside, the dark basement was a perfect place to set up a winter den.  By the time 1^st Response Wildlife had been called, the homeowner had already encountered three Western Diamondback rattlesnakes inside the upstairs area and, by the time a full inspection and property search and monitoring occurred, no fewer than 13 rattlers had been discovered and removed.  While, at present, no more rattlers have been found, the home is being monitored, a trap has been set in a key area of the basement, and everyone involved is on alert. 

Clearly, this is a dangerous and somewhat exceptional situation.  However, since rattlesnakes typically “den up,” for the winter, it is not uncommon to find several rattlesnakes which have been together during the colder months, emerging from their den in the spring in groups.  It is just rare to have a large number of rattlers choose an occupied residence as their place to winter over.

While it is a surprise to find a den of rattlers in a home, it is not uncommon to find that, drawn to an opening or an occasionally open garage door, a homeowner will find a rattlesnake, in the spring, which has spent the winter behind some storage container or box.  If a homeowner also has mice or packrats that have chosen their garage as a place to take up winter residence, this can be a magnet that draws rattlesnakes in initially and then, with the garage door closed, the snake ends up finding a hiding place where it stays until spring.

An extremely dangerous development involving mice and a winter rattler recently resulted in a call to 1^st Response Wildlife.  It seems the rattler had entered the home in the fall from a nearby wash, either taking advantage of an open garage as a potential winter hideaway or because it sensed mice in the garage, followed their presence and then spent the winter and early spring, hidden away well fed and safe.

To answer a question that is sometimes asked, “do snakes climb?” the answer is, yes.  In this case, the homeowner was walking around behind his car on his way to run an errand and, as he neared the back of the garage, he heard a rattle. Somewhat surprised, thankfully, he stopped, looked around and there, about shoulder/neck high, he saw a Western Diamondback female.  She was sitting on top of a weed hoe, apparently trying to get out of the garage and, not finding an exit at ground level, had climbed as high as she could and was attempting to find an exit.  The homeowner backed up, realizing that, in a few more strides he would have possibly been the recipient of a snake bite in the shoulder or neck area.  He took the picture below and called 1^st Response Wildlife.  As you can see, the picture was taken in a garage with only an inside light, which is not very clear but, the rattler is clearly visible, shoulder high, on the weed hoe.

Below is a picture, after the rattler has been removed to a transfer container, showing the rattler’s former location and the path it had to climb to reach the height where the picture was taken.

Here is the female Western Diamondback.

Here is a YouTube of that same rattler being safely relocated back into the wild.

https://youtu.be/618rj06yycw

Rattlesnakes in Arizona are not to be taken lightly.  They provide a great service in rodent control and, left alone, unless they are in your back yard and you have pets or children, will co-exist with people and keep their distance.  If they are in your home, as in the two situations above, however, they can be extremely dangerous, both because, when encountered, they may not have an easy path to escape and, because, a homeowner, child, or pet, may not see them until it is too late.  If you find a rattlesnake on your property, in your home, around your pool or patio and would like it safely removed, please give 1^st Response Wildlife a call!

Thanks for considering 1st Response Wildlife 

Josh's Cell (24/7 Hours): 520-260-9517

Josh Waling is a humane Licensed Animal Trapper who catches and releases wildlife, removing animals including bobcats (lince), coyotes, snakes, rattlesnakes (serpiente de cascabel), raccoons (mapache), pack rats, gila monsters (monstruos de gila), rabbits (canejo), owls, bats, hawks, ducks, opossums, squirrels (ardilla), peacocks, coatimundi (gato solo), skunks (mofeta), ringtails, exotics, and domestic cats and dogs. He delivers service that is professional and fast and he is available 24/7.  Give him a call the next time you hear unusual noises in the attic or crawl spaces in your home or if you see wildlife eating your vegetation, creating nests, and raising their young too close to your pets or children or have an exotic sighting in your neighborhood. 520-260-9517 Thanks!

Bloody Bobcats!

Arizona has a significant bobcat population.  Arizona Game and Fish Department, in fact, reports that thousands are taken by hunters and fur trappers each year across the state.

Here in southern Arizona, homeowners, hikers, golfers, and winter snowbirds typically enjoy bobcats in a different way-taking photographs, watching bobcats walk through back yards, lounging on patios, and even sharing a fairway or green during a round of golf.  In rare cases, a small pet, chickens, or doves feeding at a bird feeder have become prey of bobcats in the neighborhood.  When something like this happens, very often, a homeowner or Property Management Company places a call to 1^st Response Wildlife to discuss their options.

Here we see what homeowners often see and photograph outside their picture windows or just beyond their property line.

1^st Response Wildlife, as a licensed nuisance live trapper under the direction of the Arizona Game and Fish Department, is focused on working with homeowners and Property Management Companies to understand their specific situations, discuss and educate the interested parties on their options and then, if required, trap and relocate bobcats that truly are a nuisance.   In some cases, making an area with pets or chickens more secure, changing bird feeder locations, and being aware of bobcat habits is all that is necessary.  For others, however, when a female bobcat decides to have her babies in an attic, a bobcat really is preying on or threatening pets, the best option is to trap and relocate them.

One situation where bobcats were creating a nuisance resulted in the application of a term usually applied in the UK to this blog-“Bloody Bobcats.”  While this term is broadly and often used or applied in jest, in the case of one homeowner, it turned out to have a specific application.  It seems that bobcats in the neighborhood had decided that the front edge of their Santa Fe home was a great place to bring and consume their prey.

As you can see, this line that runs down the front of the home, just above the garage is ugly. 

Closer inspection by the homeowner and then by 1^st Response Wildlife, identified the material constituting the line, as blood from prey that bobcats would bring and consume on the roof.  (Hence the moniker, “Bloody Bobcats!”)  The homeowner and his neighbor had observed and photographed bobcats in the neighborhood on a number of occasions.  However, when this behavior continued and the line became more pronounced, it was decided to ask 1^st Response Wildlife to relocate them.

The area was inspected and it was discovered that, perhaps one influencing factor for bobcats choosing a roof as a dining location, was that a large herd of Javelina frequented the area.  To confirm that competition for the same travel routes, a trail camera was set up and, as expected, for a period of time, the herd was photographed foraging around the perimeter of the home.

Here we see Javelina inspecting and actually tripping the bobcat trap.

Once the Javelina moved on and the area was cleaned up, as you can see in the somewhat grainy photograph below, taken at night, a bobcat returned and, in the picture below, came-to-trap. was removed and relocated several miles away where there was plenty of its normal prey, water, and shelter.

Here is the bobcat resting in the trap ready to be relocated.

Once the area was cleared, the bobcat was removed and relocated several miles away where there was plenty of its normal prey, water, and shelter

If you have bobcats living in your area, around your business, home, or property you manage and believe they are a nuisance, 1^st Response Wildlife would be happy to talk with you about your experiences and explore ideas for living with them or, if it is determined that they are really becoming a nuisance, trap and relocate them for you.  Please give 1^st Response Wildlife a call for the best outcome for you and for what can be those, “Bloody Bobcats!”

If you would like help with any Nuisance animals, noises in your building, see or hear something in or around your home, business, or property and would like help identifying it, humanely removing it, with the assurance it will be relocated to live in a safe environment, please give 1^st Response Wildlife a call to discuss your options.

Thanks for considering 1st Response Wildlife 

Josh's Cell (24/7 Hours): 520-260-9517

Josh Waling is a humane Licensed Animal Trapper who catches and releases wildlife, removing animals including bobcats (lince), coyotes, snakes, rattlesnakes (serpiente de cascabel), raccoons (mapache), pack rats, gila monsters (monstruos de gila), rabbits (canejo), owls, bats, hawks, ducks, opossums, squirrels (ardilla), peacocks, coatimundi (gato solo), skunks (mofeta), ringtails, exotics, and domestic cats and dogs. He delivers service that is professional and fast and he is available 24/7.  Give him a call the next time you hear unusual noises in the attic or crawl spaces in your home or if you see wildlife eating your vegetation, creating nests, and raising their young too close to your pets or children or have an exotic sighting in your neighborhood. 520-260-9517 Thanks!