Rattlesnake Mistakenly Trapped in Arizona Home for Two Years with No Food Supply, Still Survived

An emaciated rattlesnake that had been trapped under a shed for more than two years was discovered by an Arizona woman. With no food or water supply during that time, the skinny western diamondback rattlesnake most likely managed to survive.

In 2020, a snake was first noticed on the property, creeping through the woman's garden. To keep out rats that could attract the deadly reptile, she quickly installed a mesh fence along the bottom of the shed. She was unaware that the rattlesnake had already slithered underneath, though.

Rattlesnake Solutions' Bryan Hughes stated that they are puzzled as to how this snake has endured for so long. Although it is possible that several prey animals, like tiny lizards, were able to pass through the quarter-inch mesh barrier, it's also possible that the animal went the entire time without eating.

Western Diamondback Rattlesnake

The Western Diamondback Rattlesnake is the largest in Arizona and can be found throughout the Southwest and can grow to 6 feet in some rare cases. Their bite has the potential to be fatal to humans and can cause tissue death, blood clots, internal bleeding, and muscle damage.

Hughes said that Rattlesnakes are often found at properties in Arizona, most often in backyards where vegetation, water, and feeding opportunities are present. Each day their team is called to up to 30 snakes across our service area.

In the wild, rattlesnakes frequently go months without food, though experts believe they are capable of surviving for up to a year or longer.

Malnourishment

However, two years is an exceptionally long time, even for a rattlesnake.

Hughes said that a rattlesnake's appearance can drastically change when it is undernourished. The snake was almost entirely devoid of body fat and muscle, with only folds of loose skin hanging over its ribs.

Its venom glands had been stripped away by dehydration and starvation, leaving a narrow head as opposed to the wide arrow typically associated with vipers.

The group occasionally takes in rattlesnakes that were starved and subjected to abuse while being kept in captivity as a rescue service. The stress of feeding and the energy required to digest food is too much for the snake once it has deteriorated this far, and it does not survive.

Despite being malnourished, this rattlesnake may or may not have been in that situation.

The snake was saved by Rattlesnake Solutions snake catcher Dave Holland, who decided that, rather than receiving rehabilitation in captivity, returning the reptile to its natural environment would increase its chances of surviving.

Hughes explained that, according to Holland's evaluation at the time, returning the snake as soon as possible to its natural habitat seemed to be the best option for ensuring its survival.

Directly after its release, it entered a rodent burrow where it could safely immerse in its surroundings while remaining hidden and, hopefully, find prey.

He added that it was amazing that the snake was able to endure for as long as it did, Newsweek reports.