Rattlesnake with ‘mutated’ pattern found in Arizona backyard
Rattlesnake Solutions says the reptile is likely “just a funky-looking diamondback.”
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — A diamondback rattlesnake with a peculiar “pattern mutation” is getting a lot of attention online after the animal was reportedly found in a Scottsdale backyard.
Rattlesnake Solutions, which works to educate the public on snakes and relocate venomous reptiles, recently reported responding to a “weird” call involving a snake with a striking look.
In pictures posted on Rattlesnake Solutions’ social feeds, the snake’s scaly patterns are more curved and circular, almost like little mushrooms, rather than the familiar diamond-shaped pattern that is recognizable to most Arizonans.
“In the many thousands of Diamondbacks we’ve seen over the years, this is a first,” Rattlesnake Solutions wrote in an Instagram post about the discovery.
The social posts triggered many curious reactions from onlookers who were stunned by the snake’s unusual pattern.
Rattlesnake Solutions theorized that “of all the possibilities, it’s likely it’s just a funky-looking diamondback” and not likely the result of two different snake species mating.
Other diamondback snakes with rare patterns have been reported in the wild.
A snake with no pattern at all was reported near Austin a few years ago. Another “unusual” diamondback snake was discovered in Texas in the late 1960s, which consisted of “dark brown paravertebral stripes” rather than the classic diamond shapes, according to an article published in Kansas Academy of Science.
In 2020, a biologist reported finding a “patternless” eastern diamondback snake in Florida that didn’t have the normal color markings, according to WTXL News.
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