Pygmy Rattlesnake
Sistrurus miliarius • Order: Squamata, Suborder: Serpentes, Family: Viperidae, Subfamily: Crotalinae, Genus: Sistrurus, Species: S. miliarius
Southeastern and South-Central United States, ranging from eastern North Carolina south to Florida, and west to eastern Texas and Oklahoma.
Look up 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 facing local threats from habitat fragmentation, road mortality, and intentional killing.
Physical Description
Dark grey or brownish background with a dorsal series of rounded dark blotches and reddish-orange highlights between spots, featuring a distinct stripe on the head and neck, keeled scales, and a very small rattle at the tail tip.
Size & Dimensions
Specimen is a juvenile approximately 12 inches long; adults typically range from 14 to 24 inches, with a maximum recorded length of over 31 inches.
Habitat
Pine flatwoods, sandhills, mixed forests, floodplains, and areas surrounding lakes and marshes, often utilizing palmetto thickets and burrows.
Diet & Feeding
Amphibians, lizards, small mice, and invertebrates, employing an ambush hunting strategy utilizing camouflage in leaf litter.
Reproduction
Ovoviviparous, giving birth to live young with typical litter sizes ranging from 2 to 9 neonates, usually born in late summer or early autumn.
Look-alikes
Commonly confused with young Eastern Massasaugas (Sistrurus catenatus) or various non-venomous water and rat snakes, but distinguished by the distinct head markings and miniature rattle.
Conservation Status
IUCN Red List status is Least Concern, though facing local threats from habitat fragmentation, road mortality, and intentional killing.
Cultural Significance
Plays a vital role in local ecosystem regulation by controlling small mammal and amphibian populations.
Notable Features
Possesses a disproportionately tiny rattle that produces a sound resembling buzzing insects rather than a traditional buzzing rattle loop.