A roughly 3-foot-long rattlesnake was captured in the corner of a young girl's bedroom in Cave Creek on Oct. 30, a jarring reminder that cooler fall temperatures can send snakes looking for warmth in all the wrong places. The snake was removed by a professional snake remover, and video of the encounter made its way to local news as a cautionary tale for Valley homeowners heading into the colder months.
The footage was sent to 12News by another snake remover, according to the outlet's report. Snake expert Verner Swenson told 12News that snake-removal calls tend to pick up as Valley temperatures fall, a pattern he's observed as cold-blooded reptiles chase shrinking pockets of warmth. Homes, Swenson explained, offer exactly that kind of refuge: microclimates with consistent temperatures that hold their warmth even as the desert outside cools off.
Snakes are cold-blooded and rely entirely on their surroundings to regulate body temperature, which is why they seek out warm spots the moment the air turns crisp, per 12News. That instinct can lead them into brumation, a dormant state similar to hibernation, inside warm places — sometimes including the laundry room, the space under a refrigerator, or an unused spare room. Swenson recommends checking those specific spots as temperatures drop, the outlet reported.
Why Fall Brings More Snakes Out of Hiding
The Cave Creek bedroom encounter lines up with broader seasonal patterns documented by snake-safety groups. According to Rattlesnake Solutions, random encounters with rattlesnakes of all age classes are highest during the fall. The group notes that in September and early October, the first hour after sunset sees a surge in rattlesnake movement, and the animals can stay active even as temperatures dip into the 50s.
That activity shifts again later in the season. Rattlesnake Solutions says that from late October through about the second week of November, rattlesnakes make large, straight-line movements toward den locations starting around 3 p.m., with that movement carrying through and peaking in the first hour after sunset. The Cave Creek Guide separately describes October and November as the area's second-busiest stretch for rattlesnake encounters, trailing only spring, and notes that by around the second week of November, most rattlesnakes have reached wherever they're spending the winter.
What To Do If You Spot One
Rattlesnakes don't always rattle before striking, 12News reported, though the sound is meant to warn people to keep their distance when it does happen. Experts told the outlet that snakes are generally more afraid of humans than humans are of them, but a snake may still lunge, snap, or bite if someone tries to handle or remove it. The advice from multiple sources is consistent: stay at least 5 feet away and don't attempt a removal yourself.
The Cave Creek Guide echoes that caution, noting that handling a rattlesnake is not a do-it-yourself task and that professional removal services are available around the clock in Cave Creek. Scottsdale's city safety page offers similar guidance for residents elsewhere in the Valley, advising people not to try to kill or capture a snake themselves and to leave it alone if neither a person nor a pet is in immediate danger, allowing it to make its way back into the desert.
When Swenson relocates a captured snake, he typically moves it about a quarter mile from where it was found, or to a known location where other snakes congregate if he's aware of one, based on his account to 12News.
Simple Steps To Keep Snakes Out of the House
Snakes can squeeze through openings as small as a quarter inch, according to 12News, which makes sealing gaps around a home one of the more effective preventive steps homeowners can take. Rattlesnake Solutions puts a finer point on that guidance, recommending that mesh at every possible entry point measure a quarter inch or less to keep snakes from slipping through.
The group also suggests a simple habit for pet owners: walk the yard before letting dogs out in the morning and at night, and never leave dogs unattended in the backyard at dusk or during the first hour after, since that window is when rattlesnakes are most active. With den season winding down toward mid-November, the guidance from both Rattlesnake Solutions and the Cave Creek Guide suggests the next couple of weeks remain a window worth taking seriously for anyone checking closets, garages, or a child's bedroom before bedtime.
