“We were shocked.”
Published on June 12, 2025 at 2:41 PM
Given their line of work, the snake experts at Rattlesnake Solutions in Arizona encounter, well, a lot of snakes. It takes an incredibly unique reptile to phase these animal lovers. And so it was a pretty spectacular moment when, just recently, Rattlesnake Solutions staff members were sent a picture from a fellow rescuer that made their jaws drop.
“We were shocked,” Rattlesnake Solutions owner Bryan Hughes told The Dodo. “[We] weren’t quite sure what we were looking at.”
Hughes couldn’t get to her quickly enough.
“I dropped everything I was doing and rushed down there,” Hughes said.
The original rescuer at the scene, Marissa Maki, had responded to a call about a western diamondback rattlesnake found on someone’s property. When she arrived, Maki realized that the snake’s coloring looked completely different from any western diamondback she’d seen before.
“It’s as if the lines that dictate where a pattern repeats and originates from are missing or backwards,” Hughes said. “Each side of the snake’s body has its own version of a normal western diamondback rattlesnake pattern, but they do not intersect, and [they] seem to grow outward rather than run along the back like a normal snake. It gives the appearance of circles or disconnected rings all over the snake. It’s also missing the typical facial stripes, and the color is very peachy in between rings, especially towards the tail.”
Here’s a comparison of this snake versus a typical western diamondback:
Hughes and his team aren’t sure why this snake has such a distinct pattern, but they have some theories.
“We were able to find other instances of this mutation happening in the same general area in the past, from photos taken by others who didn’t know what it was either,” Hughes said.
Hughes speculates that land development in the area could be a factor, as habitat fragmentation might lead to inbreeding between snakes, reducing the gene flow and causing these recessive genes to be expressed.
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Since the snake was found in a very dangerous area, experts are keeping her cozy in their rescue facility for now, where they’ll continue to humanely study her and learn as much about her as they can.
Safe and sound, this exceptional snake is getting the care she needs and astounding everyone she meets along the way.
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