Western diamond-backed rattlesnake, Texas diamond-back, Adobe snake, Arizona diamond rattlesnake, coon tail
The Western diamondback rattlesnake (Crotalus atrox) is a venomous rattlesnake species found in the United States and Mexico. It is likely responsible for the majority of snakebite fatalities in northern Mexico and the greatest number of snakebites in the U.S.
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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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DiurnalDiurnal animals are active during the daytime, with a period of sleeping or other inactivity at night. The timing of activity by an animal depends ...
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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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ScavengerScavengers are animals that consume dead organisms that have died from causes other than predation or have been killed by other predators. While sc...
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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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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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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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BurrowingA burrow is a hole or tunnel excavated into the ground by an animal to create a space suitable for habitation, temporary refuge, or as a byproduct ...
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BrumationBrumation is a lethargic state that some ectothermic animals, such as many reptiles, assume during cold conditions. Reptiles generally begin brumat...
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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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starts withThe color pattern of these snakes generally consists of the dusty-looking gray-brown ground color, but it may also be pinkish-brown, brick red, yellowish, pinkish, or chalky white. This ground color is overlaid dorsally with a series of dorsal body blotches that are dark gray-brown to brown in color. Some of the first few blotches may be somewhat rectangular, but then become more hexagonal and eventually take on a distinctive diamond shape, hence the name "diamondback rattlesnake". The tail has two to eight black bands separated by ash-white or pale gray interspaces; this led to the nickname "coon tail".
Western diamondback rattlesnakes are found in the United States from central Arkansas to southeastern and Central California, south into Mexico as far as northern Sinaloa, Hidalgo, and northern Veracruz. In the United States, they occur in central and western Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas, southern and central New Mexico and Arizona, extreme southern Nevada, southwestern Utah, and southeastern California on either side of the Chocolate Mountains. In Mexico, they occur in Nuevo León, Coahuila, Chihuahua, Sonora, extreme northeastern Baja California, northern Sinaloa, northeastern Durango, Zacatecas, most of San Luis Potosí, northern Veracruz, Hidalgo, and Querétaro. These snakes have also been reported on a number of islands in the Gulf of California, including San Pedro Mártir, Santa María (Sinaloa), Tíburon, and the Turner Islands. Western diamondback rattlesnakes live in different habitats that range from flat coastal plains to steep rocky canyons and hillsides; they can be found in the desert, sandy creosote areas, mesquite grassland, desert scrub, open pine forest, and pine-oak forests.
Western diamondback rattlesnakes are solitary creatures. Usually inactive between late October and early March, these snakes occasionally may be seen basking in the sun on warm winter days. They can be active at any time of the day or night when conditions are favorable. They are primarily diurnal and crepuscular in spring and fall and become nocturnal and crepuscular during the hot summer months. These snakes hunt mainly at night or in the early morning. In the winter, they hibernate or brumate in caves or burrows, sometimes with many other species of snakes. Western diamondbacks are poor climbers. When threatened, they usually coil and rattle to warn aggressors. They are one of the more aggressive rattlesnake species in the US in the way that they stand their ground when confronted by a foe. If rattling does not work, then the snake will strike in defense.
Like most other American pit vipers, the venom contains proteolytic enzymes. The venom of this species is primarily hemotoxic, affecting mainly the blood vessels, blood cells, and the heart. The venom contains hemorrhagic components called zinc metalloproteinases. The venom also contains cytotoxins and myotoxins which destroy cells and muscles, adding to the damage to the cardiovascular system. In addition to hemorrhage, venom metalloproteinases induce myonecrosis (skeletal muscle damage), which seems to be secondary to the ischemia that ensues in muscle tissue as a consequence of bleeding and reduced perfusion. Microvascular disruption by metalloproteinases also impairs skeletal muscle regeneration, being thereby responsible for fibrosis and permanent tissue loss. General local effects include pain, heavy internal bleeding, severe swelling, severe muscle damage, bruising, blistering, and necrosis; systemic effects are variable and not specific but may include headache, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, dizziness, and convulsions. Bleeding caused by hemorrhagins is a major clinical effect that can be fatal. Because of its large venom glands and specialized fangs, the Western diamondback rattlesnake can deliver a large amount of venom in a single bite. The average venom yield per bite is usually between 250 and 350 mg, with a maximum of 700-800 mg. Severe envenomation is rare but possible and can be lethal. The mortality rate of untreated bites is between 10 and 20%.
Western diamondback rattlesnakes are carnivores and they are one of the few species of snakes that engage in scavenging behavior. They feed on small mammals such as chipmunks, prairie dogs, voles, woodrats, rabbits, ground squirrels, and also birds, lizards, and even fish.
Western diamondback rattlesnakes usually mate during the fall. They are viviparous meaning that females give birth to live young. Gestation lasts 6 or 7 months and broods average 10 to 25 young. The snakelets are fully-developed and capable of delivering a venomous bite from the moment they are born. They stay with the mother for only a few hours before they set off on their own to hunt and find cover. Western diamondbacks become reproductively mature when they are 3 years old.
There are no major threats to Western diamondback rattlesnakes. However, they do suffer locally from habitat destruction and roadkill. They are also heavily collected from the wild, frequently being drawn out of their hiding places with gasoline and used in rattlesnake roundups (rattlesnake rodeos), where they are killed for food, skins, and entertainment.
According to IUCN, the Western diamondback rattlesnake is locally common and widespread throughout its range but no overall population estimate is available. Currently, this species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List and its numbers are stable.
Key participants in the food chain, Western diamondbacks are important predators of many small rodents, rabbits, and birds. In turn, they are preyed upon by a variety of larger mammals and birds, such as coyotes, foxes, hawks, and owls.