Dusky Pigmy Rattlesnake

Average adult size is 12-24 inches (30-61 cm), record is 31 inches (79 cm). This is a small snake, but thick for its size. The top of the triangular shaped head is covered with 9 large scales. The body color is light to dark gray. A longitudinal row of black or charcoal, transverse blotches disrupts a reddish brown stripe running down the middle of the back. Dark spots on the side line up with the blotches. The tail is slender and ends in a small rattle. The belly is heavily mottled with black and white. The pupil of the eye is vertical (cat-like), and there is a deep facial pit between the nostril and eye. Juvenile coloration is like adults, but the tip of the tail is yellowish-green