First baby rattlesnakes of the season at EYNC

We have kids!

Just a quick post to let you know that as of last Saturday, 3 September, Females 39, 53 and 75 were all still visibly pregnant.

Females 39 (red/blue) and 53 (blue/yellow) laying together in their gestation shelter on Saturday, 3 September, illuminated by sunluight reflected from a mirror. Both were still pregnant. They are laying on top of a recently shed skin from another large rattlesnake. — Females 39 (red/blue) and 53 (blue/yellow) laying together in their gestation shelter on Saturday, 3 September, illuminated by sunlight reflected from a mirror. Both were still pregnant. They are laying on top of a recently shed skin from another large rattlesnake.

But yesterday afternoon, 6 September, a newborn baby was coiled in the hollow log where 39 and 53 had been on Saturday. I could not see the adults well enough to tell which one had given birth. There were undoubtedly other kids that were not visible. Since the neonates start a shed (ecdysis) cycle almost immediately after birth, which turns their eyes bluish-white, this one’s clear eyes indicate he is not very old.

A newborn northern Pacific rattlesnake in the hollow log with females 39 and 53 on 6 September. His eyes are still clear, indicating he is no more than a day or two old.

As of Saturday, I could not see neonates in the burrow with Female 75.

Since my last post, I also came across the first Fall courtship. Early on 29 August, I came across an unmarked male courting Female 66, who is not pregnant this year and has been hunting all summer. A couple hours later, the apparently happy pair were copulating! Remember, these rattlesnakes have a bimodal courtship season: they court in the Spring, lay low during the hot months, and resume courtship in late Summer/Fall.

Female 66 is almost hidden by an unmarked male courting her on 29 August 2016 — Female 66 is almost hidden by an unmarked male on top of her on 29 August 2016. Note his tail wrapped around and under hers.

Female 66 copulating with an unmarked male on 29 August 2016 — The same pair copulating two hours after the photo above was made. The marked and telemetered female has white paint in the top half of her rattle; the male’s rattle is not marked with paint.

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