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. Populations face local threats primarily from habitat fragmentation, road mortality, and intentional persecution.
Physical Description
Features a patterned series of dark rounded blotches along the back with smaller alternating spots on the sides, often interspersed with reddish-orange or rusty-brown spinal markings. The head is distinctively wider than the neck, and the eyes feature vertical pupils. The body is relatively stout with keeled scales.
Size & Dimensions
The specimen shown appears to be a juvenile, approximately 10-15 inches long. Adults typically reach a total length of 14-24 inches (38-61 cm), with a maximum recorded length of around 31 inches.
Habitat
Pine flatwoods, sandhills, mixed forests, floodplains, and areas surrounding lakes and marshes, often hiding under fallen logs, debris, or palmetto fronds.
Diet & Feeding
Amphibians, lizards, mice, and other small snakes. They employ an ambush hunting strategy, often remaining motionless to wait for passing prey.
Reproduction
Ovoviviparous, giving birth to live young. Mating typically occurs in the spring, and females give birth in late summer or early autumn to a litter ranging from 3 to 14 neonates.
Look-alikes
Often confused with young Eastern Massasaugas (Sistrurus catenatus) or non-venomous species such as juvenile Eastern Hog-nosed Snakes (Heterodon platirhinos) or Pygmy Pythons in captivity, distinguished primarily by head shape, scale texture, and specific dorsal blotch patterns.
Conservation Status
IUCN Red List status is Least Concern. Populations face local threats primarily from habitat fragmentation, road mortality, and intentional persecution.
Cultural Significance
Plays a role in regional folklore within the American South and contributes to local ecosystem balance by controlling small rodent and invertebrate populations.
Notable Features
Characterized by its exceptionally small rattle, which produces a sound resembling buzzing insects rather than a traditional rattle, and a distinct reddish stripe running along the center of the back.