I was just looking at a book and noticed this paper, "Mating System of Male Mojave Rattlesnakes (Crotalus scutulatus)...", from the book, Biology of the Pitvipers. Paper is by Gordon Schuett, Andrew Holycross, and others, (2002). In it it says the active season for the mojave is March to September (page 515). I don't guess these guys are newbies, do You?



I'm not going to argue winter temps with you, but I have noticed that rattlers aren't very active at temps below 70*F, normally. I would definitely say they have a hibernation period, and that they only wander around when the temps are unseasonably warm. I wouldn't call that active in the true sense. Also, I've been checking on a den site for diamondbacks in the Santa Cruz Valley for the last three years. I've seen dozens of them coming out of hibernation, caked in mud, around the end of March. Got pix if you're interested



TC

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