Eastern Rattlesnake

Ghida HijaziNS 33128:00 am

Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake

• Crotalus adamanteus is the scientific name

• Crotalus adamanteus is a venomous pit viper found in the southeastern United States. It is the heaviest venomous snake in the Americas and the largest rattlesnake. 

Fun Facts

• It was the symbol of one of the first flags of the United States called the Gadsden Flag. The flag had the rattlesnake on it with the famous quote "Don't tread on me".

• Oftentimes rattlers return to their mother's den each winter. The same den may be used by future generations for many years.

• They are very good swimmers.• They don't always rattle before they strike.

Crotalus adamante

us

Habitat• The Eastern Diamondback

resides in the palmetto flatwoods and dry pinelands of the South. It generally avoids marshes and swamps, but on occasion will live near the borders of wetlands. Occasionally it may venture into salt water, swimming to the outlying Keys off the Florida coast.

Physical Description

• The snake has a large head and a bulky body. It has a row of large dark diamonds with brown centers and cream borders down its back. The ground color of the body ranges from olive, to brown, to almost black. The tail is usually a different shade, brownish or gray, and banded with dark rings. At the end of the tail is a well-developed rattle. The head has a light bordered dark stripe running diagonally through the eye. The pupil is vertical (catlike). There is a large pit between the nostril and eye.

Reproduction• The snake mate in the late

summer and fall. The size of the brood ranges from 6 to 21 young. The gestation period is six to seven months. Young are born live, in retreats such as gopher tortoise burrows or hollow logs. At the time of birth, the baby snakes are 15 inches long. The snakes can live 20 years or more.

Food Habits• feeds primarily on small mammals, from

mice to rabbits. It will also eat birds. Young diamondbacks feed primarily on rats and mice, while adults prefer larger prey like rabbits and squirrels. The snakes lie waiting for prey beside logs or near the roots of fallen trees. Diamondbacks locate their prey by odor, as well as by sensing the infrared waves (heat) given off by their warm-blooded prey. Once found, the prey is bitten. The prey is released after the strike, and is then allowed to crawl away and die. The snake will pursue the prey, eating it once it is dead.

CitationEastern Diamondback Rattlesnake (Crotalus adamanteus) – Venomous. (n.d.). Retrieved June 28, 2015, from http://srelherp.uga.edu/snakes/croada.htm

Eastern Diamondback Rattler. (n.d.). Retrieved June 28, 2015, from http://www.ducksters.com/animals/diamondbackrattler.php

Eastern Diamondback Rattler. (n.d.). Retrieved June 28, 2015, from http://www.ducksters.com/animals/diamondbackrattler.php