The Great Basin rattlesnake (Crotalus lutosus) is a venomous pit viper species found in the United States. It was first formally named by Laurence Monroe Klauber in 1930 as a subspecies of Crotalus confluentus (now known as Crotalus viridis). The Great Basin rattlesnake is commonly considered a subspecies of the Western rattlesnake (Crotalus oreganus).
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CrepuscularCrepuscular animals are those that are active primarily during twilight (that is, the periods of dawn and dusk). This is distinguished from diurnal...
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NocturnalNocturnality is an animal behavior characterized by being active during the night and sleeping during the day. The common adjective is "nocturnal",...
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CarnivoreA carnivore meaning 'meat eater' is an organism that derives its energy and nutrient requirements from a diet consisting mainly or exclusively of a...
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OviparousOviparous animals are female animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive...
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PrecocialPrecocial species are those in which the young are relatively mature and mobile from the moment of birth or hatching. Precocial species are normall...
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
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Ambush predatorAmbush predators are carnivorous animals that capture or trap prey by stealth, luring, or by (typically instinctive) strategies utilizing an elemen...
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VenomousVenom is a type of poison, especially one secreted by an animal. It is delivered in a bite, sting, or similar action. Venom has evolved in terrestr...
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SolitaryNo
Not a migrantAnimals that do not make seasonal movements and stay in their native home ranges all year round are called not migrants or residents.
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HibernatingHibernation is a state of minimal activity and metabolic depression undergone by some animal species. Hibernation is a seasonal heterothermy charac...
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starts withThe color pattern of this species usually consists of a buff, pale gray, pale brown, olive brown, or yellowish brown ground color (hence the name, "lutosus," meaning "muddy"), overlaid with a series of 32-49 dorsal blotches. These blotches are dark brown to black in color, with pale centers and pale borders, and are often irregular in shape and wider than they are long. There is also a series of lateral blotches that are indistinct anteriorly, but become more distinct posteriorly and eventually merge with the dorsal blotches to form crossbands. Older specimens sometimes have a faded pattern, or they may have uniformly black blotches, with the dorsum of the head also being black. The males typically grow larger than the females.
These snakes are found in Idaho, Utah, and Arizona west and north of the Colorado River as well as the north rim of the Grand Canyon, the entire state of Nevada (excluding Esmeralda, Nye, and Clark counties), California east of the Sierra Nevada from Lower Klamath Lake south to below Lake Mono, Oregon south and east of the line Upper Klamath Lake-Fort Rock-Burns-Council (Idaho). Great Basin rattlesnakes inhabit dry and barren areas and are usually found on hills, summits, and old lake benches. They prefer southern exposures among rocks and boulders on hillsides and buttes, low foothills, mountainsides, open deserts, alfalfa fields, and valley floors.
Great Basin rattlesnakes are shy and generally solitary creatures. They are usually active early in the morning or in the evening and become more nocturnal when the weather gets too hot. During the day they usually hide in mammal burrows, among rocks, or in caves. Great Basin rattlesnakes are ambush predators and hunt by waiting patiently until potential prey passes by. During cold winter months, they hibernate in communal burrows.
Great Basin rattlesnakes are carnivores and feed on amphibians, reptiles, birds, bird eggs, and mammals.
Greta Basin rattlesnakes breed in spring from March to May. They are ovoviviparous, meaning that the embryos develop within eggs that remain inside the mother's body until the young are ready to hatch; when the hatchlings emerge they are well-developed free-living young. Females of this species produce 3 to 13 live young; the newly born snakelets don't require parental care and are able to survive on their own.
There are no known major threats to this species at present.
The total population size of the Great Basin rattlesnake is unknown. Presently, this species is not included in the IUCN Red List and its conservation status has not been evaluated.
