Southwestern Speckled Rattlesnake

southwesternrattlerbg: Southwestern RattlesnakeCOMMON NAME: Southwestern Speckled Rattlesnake

SCIENTIFIC NAME: Crotalus mitchellii pyrrhus

DESCRIPTION:

VENOMOUS

The speckled rattlesnake is active in the daytime and at dusk in the spring and fall, then becomes nocturnla during the summer. Characterized as alert and nervous, this rattler will hold its ground when cornered. The color of this 23 to 52 inch snake varies from pink to orange and white to gray with dark bands separated by a light color which usually harmonizes with its background. Their pattern can be vague and varies from hexagonal to hourglass or diamond. Its tail is blunt with dark rings before the rattle. The head is distinctly wider then the neck.

LIFE HISTORY:

Rattlesnakes are ovoviviparous (live bearing). Mating occurs May through June. The gestation period is 140 to 145 days, 2 to 11 young are born during July through September and are 8 to 12 inches long. It has been recorded to live up to 22 years in captivity.

ECOLOGY:

Niche: This rattler eats small mammals, lizards, and birds.

Habitat: Over much of its range the speckled rattlesnake is a rock-dweller, but may be found in sandy areas and desert flats from sea level to 5,500 feet.

ADOPT THIS ANIMAL

Snakes, a Natural History edited by Roland Bauchot. ISBN# 0-8069-0654-5
Rattlesnakes by Laurence M. Klauber. ISBN# 0-520-04039-2


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