< Back | Name: | Western Diamondback Rattlesnake | | Family: | Venomous Snakes | | Scientific Name:
| Crotalus atrox | | Description: | Pit viper, keeled scales. Light brown, gray to grayish brown, with 24-45 diamond-shaped, light-bordered, brownish blotches. Tail white, with 3-7 black bands; origin of the name “coon-tail rattler.” Pair of pale stripes on the sides of the head. Young are patterned like adults. Adults average 36-60 inches in length; rare individuals up to 72+ inches. | | Range: | Uplands of Ouachita Mountains and southwestern Ozark highlands. | | Habits and Habitat: | Habitat and Habits Found in upland rocky, open pine-hardwood forests and rocky outcrops. Active April- October; active at night during summer months. Breeds in fall or early spring. Up to 25 young born August-October. Eats large numbers of rats and mice. Also feeds on rabbits and squirrels. Arkansas’ rarest venomous snake. |
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Click Photo to Enlarge Kelly Irwin |
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