This story was originally shared with us during our Story Contest by Mitchell Floyd, who is serving with Southwest Conservation Corps. The contest has ended, but you can still share your stories with us for possible publication on The Field Guide! Please email your stories (and any accompanying photos) to communications@conservationlegacy.org.
It was our second to last day on hitch the sun was crawling down, the perfect time for Calvin and I to continue our search. We crossed the road into this winding canyon with cacti covering what seemed to be like every inch of the canyon wall. As we scaled up and down we continued to dodge each and every cacti with expert precision to look for something magnificent. Calvin had heard stories of this snake, but he had only seen it in the unnatural world. He had told me that this creature was almost mythic in nature. Found only around Paradox valley slithered a hybrid of sorts, mixed between a midget faded rattlesnake and a prairie rattlesnake.
Losing daylight fast I searched under every rock and checked behind every bush. Almost to no avail we had found nothing until we came across this clearing with a stream of trickling water intersecting it. Calvin had spotted this slender figure just peaking out of the bush into the clearing. It was only the head of the creature, dark in coloration it slithered out revealing its entire body. This snake had three distinct stripes, two running down the side of the body and one running along its back. It was almost impossible to identify what we had come across as the canyon grew with darkness. However as we walked closer the animal stayed completely motionless attempting to camouflage with the dark soil that covered this landscape. With the shine of Calvin’s flashlight we were able to confirm that this was not the mythical creature we have been searching for, but still a snake known as the wandering garter snake. This animal is commonly seen throughout these parts thriving in almost any condition due to their highly adaptive nature. They are able to swim through difficult waters and traverse steep canyons making them adept hunters.
Disappointment struck our faces like the setting sun, we knew we were out of time. On our journey back to camp there was nothing, but silence except for a gurgling stream that turned into a gentle roar as it grew into the San Miguel river. We had just entered camp about to pack away our flashlights when a voice yelled out in complete darkness it was Abby. Gasping for air and speaking with no breath she said “rattlesnake, hurry”. Surrounded by darkness with nothing, but the glow of our flashlights to guide the way. We ran up and around the roaring river to a dirt road with a steep hillside that dropped off into the night. Catching our breaths Abby said “it was here, right here” walking up and down this road we continued our search, but there was no sign of a snake. We check every crevice alongside the dirt road, shining our light into each dark abyss hoping to unveil the creature. The snake was allusive using the darkness to its own advantage.
Miserable in our defeat we sunkingly walked down the road, our flashlights hung by our sides. There was only the sound of our footsteps pounding on the dirt road, until we heard “ch-ch-chhhh”. With a catlike reaction, I shined my flashlight where we heard the rattle. There it was just in the rill that followed parallel to the road. The hybrid warned us of its own danger, fascinated with our legendary find the snake coiled up into a figure eight shape as we approached. As we analyzed our specimen it flickered its obsidian like tongue with haste warning us to not get close. The body of this animal was long and slender with tan circular blotches running down its back that turned into a half broken rattle at the end of the creature. A truly unique find, amazed with excitement we took our pictures then left the creature alone to slither off into the pitch dark night.
