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August 27, 2007 - 4:41PM
Rare, albino snake found at Scottsdale park
Julie Janovsky, Tribune
A rare albino western diamondback rattlesnake was found at a north Scottsdale park last week.
Pinnacle Peak Park coordinator John Loleit said a hiker encountered the dying snake, which had been run over by a vehicle near the entrance of the park.
Friday’s early morning discovery of the 18-inch albino is like hitting the jackpot in the herpetological world, said a reptile expert.
“Finding an albino is rare in the wild. You have a better chance of winning the lottery than finding one,” said Russ Johnson, president of the Phoenix Herpetolgical Society.
That’s because these genetic oddities don’t often make it to adulthood in the wild.
“They tend to be eaten by other critters,” said herpetological expert Andy Holycross, a research professor at ASU, referring to the snakes’ fair skin, which stands out like a sore thumb.
In fact, these snakes — which typically are white or light-yellow colored, bare or faintly patterned and sport light pink eyes and tongues, are so rare that only a handful of their kind have been spotted in the Arizona wild, said experts.
Johnson reported that an albino western diamondback was located north of Lake Pleasant in the mid 90s. More recently, Loleit said another was spotted at the Troon development a few years ago, which is about a mile or so away from the park. Thomas Jones, of the Arizona Game and Fish Department, said sightings typically go unreported and that no official count has been tallied.
Loleit, who had never previously encountered an albino snake in his career, said he was skeptical as he walked over to take a look at the hiker’s discovery.
That was until he saw its cream colored skin and faint caramel colored markings that were much lighter than the distinctively patterned gray, brown and tan western diamondback rattlesnakes that are common in Arizona.
Loleit, who said the snake was dead by the time he reached it, said he didn’t get a clear look at its eyes or tongue but felt certain, by the look of the snake’s skin, that it was an albino variation.
“I was ecstatic when I saw it, but felt sorry that it had got run over and was dead,” said Loleit, who carefully picked up the poisonous snake with tongs, placed it in a box and stuck it in a freezer for safe keeping.
Loleit said he plans to take the snake to a taxidermist and display it at the park so visitors can safely see what these snakes look like and learn about them.
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