Climate-driven shifts in overwintering behavior of Western Diamondback Rattlesnakes (Crotalus atrox) in the Sonoran Desert

ABSTRACT

Long-term studies of individual organisms are critical for understanding movement patterns, behavior, and responses to environmental change. Despite their relevance, longitudinal field studies of long-lived reptiles remain limited, particularly in the context of shifting climatic conditions. In this study, we examined the seasonal movements of a population of Western Diamondback Rattlesnakes (Crotalus atrox) in the Suizo Mountains of southern Arizona over a decade (2001–2010). Specifically, we investigated the seasonal timing of ingress and egress (the entry and exit from winter shelters) in relation to climatic variables, including daily minimum and maximum temperature and precipitation in the periods preceding each movement. Given increasing concerns of climate variability, we sought to determine how phenological changes in the timing of ingress and egress were correlated with seasonal climate conditions. As an ectothermic, desert-dwelling squamate, the life history of this species is highly dependent upon cycles of warming and precipitation, providing a unique opportunity to assess the resilience and adaptive capacity of a long-lived reptile under increasing climate intensification. We employed a time-series analysis to assess how trends in the timing of seasonal movements may reflect broader behavioral and phenological responses to changing climatic conditions, particularly in the context of ongoing drought in the Arizona-Sonora Desert.

Recommended citation: Karl, K.M. Martinez, A. Davis, M.A. Repp, R. and Schuett, G.W. (2025). "Climate-driven shifts in overwintering behavior of Western Diamondback Rattlesnakes (Crotalus atrox) in the Sonoran Desert." Proceedings of the Royal Society B (in prep) . 1(3).