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We have a Rottweiler and a Doberman, both of whom are very friendly and love to be out and about. The Dobie absolutely loves to run along the trails in the woods, and also through the woods themselves. The Rottie doesn't run as much, unless there is snow on the ground, which she loves! But she does love to swim, and will paddle her way around an entire pond or lake with no trouble.
I wouldn't recommend letting them off the leash unless they're very well trained. The rattlers are the least of your trouble, more likely you'll make numerous trips to the vet for paw injuries, the terrain and vegetation [read cacti & thorns] is unforgiving. If you have an animal that likes to disappear and is not back by nightfall, the coyotes will make very short work of it.
We moved here almost four years ago from Maine. Love this state. If you looking for crime, you will find it. Its like any other city. I feel very safe in ABQ, now Boston on the other hand...I never once felt safe there.
Depending on where you live, you may or may not encounter snakes. I haven't yet, but now we are living in the southwest mountains, there is a bigger chance of seeing them. My dogs have never run loose, I won't allow it. I value them too much, as it only takes a split second for something to happen, no matter how well trained a dog is. Where I live we have mountain lion, bear and coyotes. The mountain lions make me more nervous than snakes. I certainly do not want my dogs meeting up with one.
Don't overly worry about the snakes, and learn to identify them. A trip to The Rattlesnake Museum is very educational, and I, too, hate snakes. Now the tarantulas, that's another story.........
Silly question. While you may encounter a few two-legged snakes there, Albuquerque is a big city and not particularly attractive to the type of snakes that slither. We've traveled all over NM and never encountered a snake, but that doesn't mean they don't exist up in the mountains or in similar areas that provide the proper environment. I doubt that there is ANY state in the union where you could not find snakes somewhere sometime. The best "defence" is to educate yourself so you can recognize those that are dangerous. Or, of course, you could hole up in a sealed bubble for the rest of your life......
I used to be afraid of snakes. I haven't ever seen one in the wild here in the city, though. Nothing to worry about, we mostly have corn snakes who are pretty harmless to humans. They imitate rattle snakes by hitting their tails against rocks and hissing, but they're constrictors and so their bite isn't venomous, or poisonous, just painful. If you go out of town, you might see one crossing the road! They kinda look like rattle snakes, too, just without the rattle.
It's more common to see road runners than snakes! Unless of course you go to the zoo, or a pet store. Also my cat is a great huntress, and though she's brought in a variety of interesting things from mice and pretty lizards to big birds, she's never brought me a snake of any kind. To me, that says they're not common. If she can capture a pigeon that's as big as her, I think she'd bring a snake inside once or twice if they were in the neighborhood.
I went to some sort of historic, western-style town one summer, and I saw a few rattle snakes in the tall grass, but then I saw a sheriff kill it with a shovel, and a few minutes later he came over and showed it to me and was all "wanna see a snake?" I wish I knew where it was, so I could tell you, OP. It has something to do with Billy the kid, that's all I remember...D:
We moved to ABQ 2 months ago from Kansas City. Currently waiting on our house to close. Had my first rattlesnake encounter yesterday morning on the Umbria trail in the Sandias. A diamondback was stretched across the trail about 15 feet in front of me. As I plan to spend time on the local trails I started thinking of how to minimize encounters with these beautiful creatures. As with most things, common sense and understanding reigns supreme. Snakes are cold-blooded creatures and have to utilize the natural environment to control their body temperature. Much like us, when it's hot we seek cool and when it's cool we seek warmth. Because of the rapid temperature changes between mornings, afternoon and evening snakes will seek out areas contrary to what the thermometer reads. We hike the trails in the cool of the morning and evening to avoid the heat and snakes move to the open trails in the morning to warm up as the sun rises and evening to soak up the residual warmth of the ground. During the heat of the day they move to cooler areas such as shade or into the rocks and are seldom seen (unless you're stupid enough to seek them out). If you understand where they are and what they are doing at any given time, and Pay Attention to your surroundings, you may see them but it won't turn disastrous. Keep your eyes and ears open to the trail ahead of you and always yield the right of way. Their bite IS worse than their bark.
We moved to ABQ 2 months ago from Kansas City. Currently waiting on our house to close. Had my first rattlesnake encounter yesterday morning on the Umbria trail in the Sandias. A diamondback was stretched across the trail about 15 feet in front of me. As I plan to spend time on the local trails I started thinking of how to minimize encounters with these beautiful creatures. As with most things, common sense and understanding reigns supreme. Snakes are cold-blooded creatures and have to utilize the natural environment to control their body temperature. Much like us, when it's hot we seek cool and when it's cool we seek warmth. Because of the rapid temperature changes between mornings, afternoon and evening snakes will seek out areas contrary to what the thermometer reads. We hike the trails in the cool of the morning and evening to avoid the heat and snakes move to the open trails in the morning to warm up as the sun rises and evening to soak up the residual warmth of the ground. During the heat of the day they move to cooler areas such as shade or into the rocks and are seldom seen (unless you're stupid enough to seek them out). If you understand where they are and what they are doing at any given time, and Pay Attention to your surroundings, you may see them but it won't turn disastrous. Keep your eyes and ears open to the trail ahead of you and always yield the right of way. Their bite IS worse than their bark.
Besides the rattlesnake encounter, how has the transition been from KC to ABQ? We are considering a similar move from mid-mo area. We like KC a lot, but prefer the climate and scenery of ABQ. Rattlesnakes are not a concern for us.
We moved to ABQ 2 months ago from Kansas City. Currently waiting on our house to close. Had my first rattlesnake encounter yesterday morning on the Umbria trail in the Sandias. A diamondback was stretched across the trail about 15 feet in front of me. As I plan to spend time on the local trails I started thinking of how to minimize encounters with these beautiful creatures. As with most things, common sense and understanding reigns supreme. Snakes are cold-blooded creatures and have to utilize the natural environment to control their body temperature. Much like us, when it's hot we seek cool and when it's cool we seek warmth. Because of the rapid temperature changes between mornings, afternoon and evening snakes will seek out areas contrary to what the thermometer reads. We hike the trails in the cool of the morning and evening to avoid the heat and snakes move to the open trails in the morning to warm up as the sun rises and evening to soak up the residual warmth of the ground. During the heat of the day they move to cooler areas such as shade or into the rocks and are seldom seen (unless you're stupid enough to seek them out). If you understand where they are and what they are doing at any given time, and Pay Attention to your surroundings, you may see them but it won't turn disastrous. Keep your eyes and ears open to the trail ahead of you and always yield the right of way. Their bite IS worse than their bark.
Where is the Umbria Trail? I never heard of that one and I have been hiking in the Sandias for 26 years. I seldom have seen rattlers, a couple of times in the foothills near picnic areas is about it. You obviously have a good head on your shoulders and have the kind of awareness that will spare you an unfortunate encounter.
I moved here from a small town in Missouri three years ago and live out with few neighbors and small desert acreage (RR between Corrales and Bernalillo high up on the western slope). I have never seen a rattlesnake but have an occasional coach-whip snake. I have a pretty good supply of Roadrunners who keep the lizards and snakes in line. This year I have had about 60 baby quail and more than a dozen baby rabbits and no snakes. I don't have a dog but previous owners did and they removed all the cactus plants from the property because the dogs were not smart enough to avoid them.
I live about fifteen miles from the city center and that is sometimes an obstacle to getting to downtown (where my daughter lives) or the university area because of traffic on the bridges...the only real traffic bottleneck. Traffic is a non issue here except for some crazies but consider your work location when house hunting. The area near me is sufficiently developed to the point that I really don't need to go far to get what I need...but I'm retired and don't drive to work.
Breaking Bad was fiction but crime is an issue in parts of Albuquerque but not much outside of town. You will sometimes be a spectator to some weird occurrence or a police event as you drive around town but even that is not all that common. I was a witness to a strange domestic quarrel at a fast food place that got out of hand and ended badly some time later but that was once in three years. People are squeamish about certain parts of town and I would be careful about where you choose to live.... it is a city of over 500,000 and it pays to be cautious.
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Rattlesnakes and common sense
