Rattlesnake Relations is the culmination of an almost lifelong passion for rattlesnakes.

As a child growing up in Sonoma County, California, I possessed a fascination for animals, particularly snakes, which bordered on obsession. My favorite pastime was roaming outside in search of wildlife, often turning over rocks, logs, and boards in hopes of uncovering a reptile I’d never seen before.

It was not until I was eight years old that I would encounter my first rattlesnake, but the memory remains one of the clearest and most formative of my life. From that day forward, I would feel a deep sense of kinship with these so often misunderstood creatures, and soon I began to see them with uncommon frequency.

This connection ushered with it a fierce desire to protect rattlesnakes, as well. I had not observed them to be aggressive creatures as so many claimed. Quite contrarily, my experience was that rattlesnakes were shy and prone to fleeing at the slightest provocation, only rattling and striking when offered no option to escape or hide. Furthermore, my quiet observations of them seemed to suggest they had somewhat regular routines and intricate social behaviors. 

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Soon my compassionate views on rattlesnakes led to ideas for more direct actions to support them, and I began removing them from neighbors' homes and garages to prevent them from being killed. Now, many years later, that effort has expanded with more offerings in service to both rattlesnakes and people. I couldn't be more grateful to dedicate some small portion of my life to giving thanks in such a way.

As a certified master herpetologist by the Amphibian Foundation, and a Level 1 Venomous Snake Handler as certified by Save the Snakes (under curriculum devised by The Rattlesnake Conservancy), I’m continuously in pursuit of greater knowledge and experience to support the work I perform in service to rattlesnakes. My approach emphasizes safety and wellbeing of both snakes and people, and is informed by the latest scientific research on rattlesnake ecology.

It is my hope that this modest suite of services can be a balm applied to the conflict between rattlesnakes and people in northern California. It is a small thing, but it is something.

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- Roy Arthur Blodgett

Sole Proprietor

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