Western Diamondback Rattlesnake

The Western Diamondback Rattlesnake is among the most abundant and well-known venomous snakes of the southwestern United States and northern Mexico, occupying a wide range of arid and semi-arid habitats. It is responsible for a significant share of rattlesnake encounters in its range due to its adaptability and relative abundance.

Its distinctive black-and-white banded tail preceding the rattle makes it one of the more readily identifiable North American rattlesnakes.

• Gray, tan, or brown background with dark diamond-shaped blotches bordered in lighter scales running down the back
• Tail marked with bold, alternating black and white rings just before the rattle, giving rise to nicknames like 'coon-tail rattlesnake' in some regions
• Heavy body with a broad, triangular head distinct from the neck
• Vertically elliptical pupils and heat-sensing facial pits
• Pale diagonal stripes bordering the eye on each side of the face
• Distinguished from the Eastern Diamondback by smaller average size and the bold black-and-white tail bands

Occupies a wide variety of arid and semi-arid habitats including desert scrub, grasslands, rocky hillsides, and canyon country across the southwestern United States and northern Mexico, from sea level to moderate elevations.

Primarily crepuscular and nocturnal in hot weather, more diurnal during cooler months. Feeds on rodents, rabbits, and occasionally birds and lizards, ambushing prey from cover. Viviparous, giving birth to live young in late summer or fall. Uses its rattle as a warning and will typically attempt to avoid confrontation when possible.