Texas Pygmy Rattlesnake
Sistrurus miliarius streckeri • Order Squamata, Suborder Serpentes, Family Viperidae, Subfamily Crotalinae, Genus Sistrurus, Species S. miliarius
Found in the southeastern United States, extending west into eastern and southern Texas, including the Brownsville region.
Look up Texas Pygmy Rattlesnake in the Snake Encyclopedia →Family
Order Squamata, Suborder Serpentes, Family Viperidae, Subfamily Crotalinae, Genus Sistrurus, Species S. miliarius
Conservation
IUCN Red List status is Least Concern, though local populations face threats from habitat loss and intentional persecution.
Physical Description
Exhibits a grayish-brown body with a dorsal row of dark rounded blotches, smaller lateral spots, and a distinct reddish-brown mid-dorsal stripe.
Size & Dimensions
This specimen appears to be a subadult measuring roughly 40 cm; adults typically reach 40 to 65 cm in total length.
Habitat
Inhabits damp flatwoods, floodplains, wet prairies, and occasionally drier sandy pine flatwoods from sea level to moderate elevations.
Diet & Feeding
Preys primarily on amphibians, small lizards, mice, and other small mammals using an ambush hunting strategy.
Reproduction
Ovoviviparous species that gives birth to live young, typically producing litters of 5 to 15 offspring during the late summer months.
Conservation Status
IUCN Red List status is Least Concern, though local populations face threats from habitat loss and intentional persecution.
Cultural Significance
Plays an important ecological role as a natural predator of small mammal and rodent populations within its range.
Notable Features
Features a very small rattle on the tail tip that produces a faint buzzing sound resembling an insect when vibrated.
Notes
Brownsville Texas, shakes end of tail but no sound