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Southwestern Speckled Rattlesnake

Crotalus mitchellii pyrrhus

Photo by JudyCrawford
Published on Project Noah
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32.8835, -114.468

Field Notes

Description:

Adults are 23-52 inches in length (58-132 cm) averaging 2 - 3.5 feet. Young 8.5 - 10.5 inches. A heavy-bodied, venomous pit viper, with a thin neck and a large triangular head. Pupils are elliptical. Scales are keeled. The body is marked with a vague pattern consisting of dark speckled banded markings from off-white, yellowish, gray, tan, pinkish, pale orange, to brown.

Habitat:

Associated mostly with arid areas strewn with rocks and boulders - alongside buttes, mesas, and desert outcroppings, but sometimes found on loose soil. Occurs in areas vegetated by sagebrush, creosote, thornscrub, chaparral, pinon-juniper woodland, succulent desert.

Reference Links:

Crotalus mitchellii pyrrhus - Southwestern Speckled Rattlesnake

Species ID Suggestions

Comments (3)
AshleyT
I bet! When I looked at the picture then saw it was called a Speckled, I admit I had to double-check it! I'm not very familiar with the rattlesnakes out west, and I didn't realize these guys could be so variable! I hope to make it out there one day, and rattlesnakes are top of my list to find :)
JudyCrawford
Thank you Ashley. I kinda wished this one was more speckled, would have been easier to identify. We've so many different kinds of rattlesnakes in this desert and I've only seen 4.
AshleyT
Such a pretty snake!! This is the species of rattlesnake I want to find the most, just the more speckled version :)

Spotted for Missions

Mission
Southern California Wildlife
Mission
Snakes of the United States - Center for Snake Conservation
Mission
Sonoran Desert - Plants and Animals
Mission
Reptiles of Arizona
Mission
Snakes of the Southwest
Photographed
PublishedJuly 10, 2013

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