Crotalus willardi willardi (2025) 11x14” Acrylic on Panel

This small painting portrays the elusive Arizona Ridge-nosed Rattlesnake (Crotalus willardi willardi) tucked among the dappled shade of Apache pine (Pinus engelmannii) and bright yellow columbine (Aquilegia chrysantha). Native only to a handful of high, cool canyons in the “Sky Island” ranges of southeastern Arizona, this snake occupies steep, rocky slopes dominated by weathered limestones, sandstones, and scattered conglomerates—substrates that hold the moist microclimates it needs.

The Arizona Ridgenosed Rattlesnake is the smallest of its genus and one of the most range restricted rattlesnakes in North America. It spends much of its life hidden under fallen pine needles, detritus, or rock crevices, emerging in the summer monsoon season to feed on small frogs, lizards, and invertebrates. Its coppery brown body with crisp white facial stripes provides camouflage against the mottled forest floor, a living reminder of how isolated, high elevation habitats can harbor unique, highly specialized wildlife.

Creating this work offered an opportunity to study the Arizona Ridgenosed Rattlesnake’s remarkable camouflage and the delicate interplay of flora, rock, and climate that define its restricted range. The research undertaken for the painting informed its composition and palette, allowing the species’ subtle patterns and habitat relationships to be represented with both accuracy and reverence.