Western Diamondback Rattlesnake
Crotalus atrox • Order: Squamata, Suborder: Serpentes, Family: Viperidae, Subfamily: Crotalinae, Genus: Crotalus, Species: atrox
Venomous Status
Venomous; solenoglyphous (large, retractable front fangs).
Danger Level
Extremely Dangerous; responsible for the majority of snakebite fatalities in northern Mexico and the second greatest number in the USA.
Geographic Range
Southwestern United States (Arkansas, Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Arizona, California, Nevada) and Northern to Central Mexico.
Conservation Status
Least Concern (IUCN); however, threatened locally by rattlesnake roundups and habitat loss.
Physical Description
Large heavy body with triangular head; heat-sensing pits between eye and nostril; dusty gray-brown coloration with dark diamond-shaped dorsal blotches outlined in white. Distinctive 'coon tail' of black and white rings before the rattle.
Size & Dimensions
Specimen appears to be an adult. Adults typically range from 120 to 150 cm (4 to 5 feet), with a maximum recorded length of 213 cm (7 feet).
Habitat
Arid and semi-arid regions including deserts, grasslands, pine-oak woodlands, and rocky canyons. Found from sea level up to 2,400 meters elevation.
Behavior & Temperament
Defensive and easily agitated. When threatened, creates a S-coil and shakes its rattle. Predominantly nocturnal in summer and diurnal in spring/fall.
Diet & Feeding
Generalist carnivore feeding on small mammals (rabbits, mice, rats), birds, and lizards. Ambush predator using heat pits to locate prey at night.
Reproduction
Ovoviviparous; females give birth to 6-25 live young between July and October. Young are born fully functional with venom and a single 'button'.
Venom Profile
Venom Type
Primarily hemotoxic and cytotoxic, causing extensive tissue damage, necrosis, and coagulopathy; also contains some myotoxic components.
AI-generated — see a qualified source if acting on this. For any snakebite, call emergency services immediately.
Look-alikes
Crotalus scutulatus (Mohave Rattlesnake) - distinguished by larger scales on head and wider white bands on tail; Crotalus adamanteus - found in the Eastern US.
Conservation Status
Least Concern (IUCN); however, threatened locally by rattlesnake roundups and habitat loss.
Cultural Significance
Iconic symbol of the American Southwest; features heavily in Native American folklore and modern Western culture as a symbol of wildness and danger.
Notable Features
Features a multi-segmented keratin rattle used as an auditory warning. Possesses highly evolved loreal pits for infrared thermoreception, allowing for hunting in total darkness.