< Back | Name: | Western Pigmy Rattlesnake | | Family: | Venomous Snakes | | Scientific Name:
| Sistrurus miliarius | | Description: | Pit viper, keeled scales. Brownish or bluish gray, 20-30 black blotches on the back; black blotches along sides. Orange or yellowish brown stripe down center of back. Black stripe from eye to corner of mouth. Belly dusky cream-colored with black or brown blotches. Young are patterned like adults. Adults 15-20 inches in length. | | Range: | Statewide; lacking records for most of the Mississippi Delta. | | Habits and Habitat: | Prefers open brushy lowlands, open hardwood and mixed pine-hardwood forests. Active April-October; active at night during summer. Breeds in fall; 4-10 young are born July-September. Feeds on lizards, rodents, frogs and small snakes. Rattle sounds like the buzz of an insect and can be heard only at very close distances. |
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Click Photo to Enlarge Suzanne Collins |
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