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, southern Nevada) and northern to central Mexico.
Look up Western Diamondback Rattlesnake in the Snake Encyclopedia →Venomous Status
Venomous (Solenoglyphous fangs)
Danger Level
Extremely Dangerous; responsible for the majority of snakebite fatalities in northern Mexico and the second-greatest number in the United States.
Family
Order: Squamata, Suborder: Serpentes, Family: Viperidae, Subfamily: Crotalinae, Genus: Crotalus, Species: Crotalus atrox
Conservation
Least Concern (IUCN); however, faces threats from habitat loss, road mortality, and 'rattlesnake roundups' in certain regions.
Physical Description
Heavy-bodied with keeled scales. Gray-brown base color with distinct light-bordered, diamond-shaped dorsal blotches. Tail features 'raccoon-like' black and white bands before the rattle.
Size & Dimensions
Typical adult length is 120-150 cm (4-5 ft), with rare specimens exceeding 210 cm (7 ft). This specimen appears to be a large sub-adult or adult.
Habitat
Highly adaptable; found in deserts, grasslands, pine-oak forests, coastal barrier islands, and rocky canyons. Ranges from sea level to approximately 2,400 meters elevation.
Behavior & Temperament
Highly defensive when cornered; typically coils and rattles loudly to warn intruders. Primarily crepuscular or nocturnal during hot summer months.
Diet & Feeding
Generalist carnivore feeding on small mammals (rabbits, gophers, mice), birds, and lizards. An ambush predator that uses heat-sensing pits to locate prey.
Reproduction
Viviparous (gives birth to live young). Typical litter size ranges from 4 to 25 neonates. Breeding occurs in spring after emerging from brumation.
Venom Profile
Complex cocktail including hemotoxins, cytotoxins, and myotoxins causing tissue destruction and coagulopathy.
Look-alikes
Mojave Rattlesnake (Crotalus scutulatus) which has different tail banding ratios, and the Timber Rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus) which has chevron patterns rather than diamonds.
Conservation Status
Least Concern (IUCN); however, faces threats from habitat loss, road mortality, and 'rattlesnake roundups' in certain regions.
Cultural Significance
A symbol of the American Southwest; often featured in Native American art and folklore. Plays a vital ecological role in controlling rodent populations.
Notable Features
Features sophisticated loreal pits (heat-sensing organs) and a keratinous rattle used as an acoustic aposematic warning device.