Tumamoc Hill is one of Tucson’s most popular hiking spots, but it’s also home to a variety of venomous reptiles.
The Desert Laboratory has studied the hill’s plants and animals since 1903. Robert A. Villa, the lab’s community outreach assistant, says the protected terrain supports four main species: Gila monsters, western diamondback rattlesnakes, tiger rattlesnakes, and blacktail rattlesnakes.
Villa says hikers are more likely to encounter them at sunrise or sunset, when temperatures are cooler. While rattlesnakes may seem dangerous, Villa says they’re ambush predators that prefer to avoid people. “If they rattle, that’s their way of saying, ‘I’m afraid; stay back,’” he said…