Experts Wowed by 'Weird' Rattlesnake with 'Funky' Leopard Spot Mutation
A diamondback rattlesnake with a scale pattern resembling leopard print was discovered in Ariz. on May 10
The unique pattern was caused by a genetic mutation
The snake was discovered in a suburban backyardA unique diamondback rattlesnake was discovered near Scottsdale, Ariz. on Saturday, May 10, ABC News 12 reports.
The snake bears a leopard print-like pattern on its scales, which experts say is a genetic mutation. Rattlesnake Solutions posted the image of the snake, which they discovered in a suburban backyard. The organization works to educate the public on dangerous reptiles and relocate them from areas where they pose dangers to humans.
The organization wrote in a recent Instagram post: "Well, this is ... weird." They went on to say that "This is a first" for them. The organization then offered some insight into the snake's unique scale pattern. "The area it was in rules out hybridization possibilities with most species ... not that there's anything morphologically that indicates that. Of all the possibilities, it's likely it's just a funky-looking diamondback."
Bryan Hughes, the owner of Rattlesnake Solutions, tells PEOPLE just how rare the discovery is.
"To put the rarity of this snake into perspective: Arizona is a worldwide destination for people who come look for snakes for recreation or research," he says.
"There are many thousands of rattlesnakes encountered by hikers and homeowners each year, in addition to those that Rattlesnake Solutions is called to capture," Hughes continues. "In the past 25 years, only three snakes that have a similar mutation have been seen: this one, another in the same general area in 2016, and the first found around 20 years ago. It's the first I've ever seen, and likely the last."
Mutations in diamondbacks are also a "unique" find, Hughes says. "It's uncommon to find wild mutations, but each year we come across a handful. These are more typically animals with stripes instead of blotches, missing patterns, and similar. But this is unique."
As for what causes such a mutation, Hughes explains, "We are curious about the mutation and if it is genetic or a one-off result of environmental stress or heat shock. With the state of Arizona in the middle of a record drought and a warming climate, we are interested in the possibility of extreme phenotypic variation being a possible indicator, more than just a pretty snake."
The snake was captured alive and relocated away from the private property on which it was discovered. Diamondback rattlesnakes have a bite that is highly venomous to humans and can be fatal. The venom, called hemotoxin, kills red blood cells and causes tissue damage, per the Smithsonian's National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute.
A diamondback rattlesnake with no pattern at all on its scales was discovered in Texas in 2018, per Texas Hill Country. Also in Texas, a diamondback with a pattern of "dark brown paravertebral stripes" rather than the classic diamond shapes was discovered in 1960, according to an article published in the Kansas Academy of Science.
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Project RattleCam returned on Wednesday, May 14, with its livestream documenting approximately 2,000 rattlesnakes emerging from hibernation in a "mega den" in Colorado. The livestream was set up in 2024 through a collaboration between scientists from California Polytechnic State University, Central Coast Snake Services, and Dickinson College in Pennsylvania, according to USA Today.
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