South American Rattlesnake
Crotalus durissus • Order: Squamata, Suborder: Serpentes, Family: Viperidae, Subfamily: Crotalinae, Genus: Crotalus, Species: C. durissus
South America, ranging from Colombia and Venezuela through Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, to northern Argentina.
Look up South American Rattlesnake in the Snake Encyclopedia →Family
Order: Squamata, Suborder: Serpentes, Family: Viperidae, Subfamily: Crotalinae, Genus: Crotalus, Species: C. durissus
Conservation
Listed as Least Concern by the IUCN Red List due to its wide distribution and adaptability to modified habitats.
Physical Description
Features a distinct triangular head, keeled scales, and a patterned body with diamond-shaped or chevron-like dorsal markings, bordered by lighter scales. The eye has a vertical pupil.
Size & Dimensions
Specimens typically range from 100 to 150 cm in total length, with maximum recorded lengths approaching 180 cm.
Habitat
Found primarily in open arid and semi-arid regions, savannas, grasslands (such as the Cerrado and Caatinga), and scrublands, avoiding dense rainforests.
Diet & Feeding
Predominantly feeds on small mammals such as rodents, using an ambush hunting strategy.
Reproduction
Viviparous, giving birth to live young. Typically produces litters of 5 to 20 neonates during the warmer months.
Look-alikes
Can be confused with other rattlesnake species within its range or pit vipers sharing similar diamond patterns, but distinguished by its specific head markings and rattle.
Conservation Status
Listed as Least Concern by the IUCN Red List due to its wide distribution and adaptability to modified habitats.
Cultural Significance
Plays an important role in local ecosystems by controlling rodent populations and features in indigenous folklore across its South American range.
Notable Features
Possesses a specialized caudal appendage (rattle) made of keratin segments used to produce a buzzing sound when threatened, along with specialized heat-sensing facial pits between the eye and nostril.