Western Diamondback Rattlesnake
Crotalus atrox • Order: Squamata, Suborder: Serpentes, Family: Viperidae, Subfamily: Crotalinae, Genus: Crotalus, Species: Crotalus atrox
Southwestern United States (Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, southern California, and southern Nevada) and northern to central Mexico.
Look up Western Diamondback Rattlesnake in the Snake Encyclopedia →Venomous Status
Venomous (Solenoglyphous - large, retractable front fangs).
Danger Level
Extremely Dangerous. Responsible for a high percentage of snakebite fatalities in North America due to its large size, high venom yield, and defensive temperament.
Family
Order: Squamata, Suborder: Serpentes, Family: Viperidae, Subfamily: Crotalinae, Genus: Crotalus, Species: Crotalus atrox
Conservation
Least Concern (IUCN Red List). However, they face threats from habitat loss and 'rattlesnake roundups' in certain regions.
Physical Description
Large, heavy-bodied snake with a triangular head and heat-sensing pits. Features keeled scales and a dusty-looking tan, gray, or brown base color with distinctive diamond-shaped dorsal blotches. The tail has characteristic black and white 'raccoon-like' bands leading to the rattle. Pupils are vertical/elliptical.
Size & Dimensions
Typically 90–150 cm (3–5 ft), though specimens can exceed 210 cm (7 ft). The specimen in the image appears to be a robust adult.
Habitat
Arid and semi-arid regions including deserts, grassy plains, rocky hillsides, and pine-oak forests. Elevation range from sea level to approximately 2,400 meters (8,000 feet).
Behavior & Temperament
Known for a bold and easily provoked temperament. When threatened, it coils, raises its head, and vibrates its tail rattle as a warning. Primarily crepuscular or nocturnal during hot summer months, but diurnal during cooler spring/fall periods.
Diet & Feeding
Active hunter and ambush predator. Diet consists mainly of small mammals (rats, mice, rabbits, ground squirrels), birds, and occasionally lizards. Uses heat-sensing pits to locate warm-blooded prey.
Reproduction
Ovoviviparous (gives birth to live young). Breeding occurs in spring; litters usually range from 4 to 25 young, born in late summer or early fall.
Venom Profile
Primarily hemotoxic and cytotoxic, containing metalloproteinases and proteases that cause tissue destruction, hemolysis, and coagulopathy.
Look-alikes
Crotalus scutulatus (Mojave Rattlesnake) which has different tail banding and larger scales on the head, and Pituophis catenifer (Bullsnake/Gophersnake) which mimics the rattle's sound and posture but lacks a rattle and pits.
Conservation Status
Least Concern (IUCN Red List). However, they face threats from habitat loss and 'rattlesnake roundups' in certain regions.
Cultural Significance
An iconic symbol of the American Southwest. Important in indigenous folklore and as a keystone predator for controlling rodent populations.
Notable Features
Features a specialized rattle made of keratin segments that click together when the tail is vibrated. Its bifurcated dark blue/black tongue is highly sensitive to chemical cues in the environment.