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 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. Populations face local threats from habitat fragmentation, road mortality, and intentional persecution.
Physical Description
Grayish to brownish body with a pattern of dark blotches along the back and smaller spots on the flanks. A distinct reddish-brown mid-dorsal stripe is often present. The head is distinct from the neck with characteristic dark facial markings, and a very small rattle is present at the tail tip.
Size & Dimensions
Typical adult length ranges from 40 to 80 cm (15 to 31 inches). The specimen in the image appears to be a smaller adult or subadult.
Habitat
Found in a variety of habitats including flatwoods, sandhills, mixed forests, floodplains, and around the edges of lakes and marshes, from sea level up to moderate elevations.
Diet & Feeding
Feeds primarily on small rodents, lizards, frogs, and occasionally insects. Uses an ambush hunting strategy.
Reproduction
Viviparous, giving birth to live young. Mating typically occurs in spring, with litters of around 3 to 10 neonates born in late summer or autumn.
Look-alikes
Frequently confused with various harmless snakes due to small size, such as young rat snakes, corn snakes, or earth snakes, but distinguished by the distinct head shape, blotched pattern, and presence of a tail rattle.
Conservation Status
IUCN Red List status is Least Concern. Populations face local threats from habitat fragmentation, road mortality, and intentional persecution.
Cultural Significance
Plays an important role in local ecosystems by controlling small mammal and amphibian populations.
Notable Features
Features a notably reduced rattle compared to larger rattlesnakes, which produces a sound resembling buzzing insects rather than a loud rattle.