Crotalus atrox
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Subphylum: Vertebrata Class: Reptilia Order: Squamata Suborder: Serpentes Family: Viperidae Subfamily: Crotalinae Genus: Crotalus Species: C. atrox
Binomial name
Crotalus atrox Baird & Girard, 1853
Synonyms
Crotalus cinereous - Le Conte In Hallowell, 1852 Crotalus atrox - Baird & Girard, 1853 Crotalus adamanteus var. atrox - Jan, 1859 Caudisona atrox var. atrox - Kennicott, 1861 Caudisona atrox var. sonoraensis - Kennicott, 1861 C[rotalus]. adamanteus var. atrox - Jan, 1863 C[rotalus]. atrox var. sonoriensis - Jan, 1863 C[audisona]. atrox - Cope, 1867 Crotalus adamanteus atrox - Cope In Yarrow In Wheeler, 1875 Caudisona atrox var. sonorensis - Boulenger, 1896 Crotalus atrox atrox - Cope, 1900 [Cortalus] atrox sonoraensis - Amaral, 1929 Crotalus atrox - Klauber, 1972 Crotalus sonoriensis - Golay et al., 1993 Crotalus atrox - Golay et al., 1993[1]

Common names: western diamondback rattlesnake,^[2] Texas diamond-back,^[3] more.

Crotalus atrox is a venomous pitviper species found in the United States and Mexico. It is likely responsible for the majority of snakebite fatalities in northern Mexico and the second greatest number in the USA after C. adamanteus.^[4] No subspecies are currently recognized.^[2] Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 543 pixelsFull resolution (1300 × 883 pixel, file size: 1. ... The conservation status of a species is an indicator of the likelihood of that species remaining extant either in the present day or the near future. ... Image File history File links Status_iucn3. ... Least Concern (LC) is an IUCN category assigned to extant species or lower taxa which have been evaluated but do not qualify for any other category. ... The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (also known as the IUCN Red List and Red Data List), created in 1963, is the worlds most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of plant and animal species and can be found here. ... Scientific classification redirects here. ... For other uses, see Animal (disambiguation). ... Classes See below Chordates (phylum Chordata) are a group of animals that includes the vertebrates, together with several closely related invertebrates. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Reptilia redirects here. ... Suborders Lacertilia- Lizards Serpentes - Snakes Amphisbaenia - Worm lizards This article is about the Squamata order of reptiles. ... Families Acrochordidae Aniliidae Anomalepididae Anomochilidae Atractaspididae Boidae Bolyeriidae Colubridae Cylindrophiidae Elapidae Hydrophiidae Leptotyphlopidae Loxocemidae Pythonidae Tropidophiidae Typhlopidae Uropeltidae Viperidae Xenopeltidae Snakes are cold blooded legless reptiles closely related to lizards, which share the order Squamata. ... Synonyms Viperae - Laurenti, 1768 Viperini - Oppel, 1811 Viperidae - Gray, 1825[1] The Viperidae are a family of venomous snakes commonly referred to as vipers, although the term viperids is more specific and distinguishes them from the viperines (subfamily Viperinae). ... {{Taxobox[[{| class=wikitable |- ]]</nowiki>]] --> </gallery> |} |}]]| [[Image:[[Media:Failed to parse (unknown error): == <nowiki>#REDIRECT [[<sup><small>[ == == == [[Image:[[Image:[[Media:[[Media:#REDIRECT [[#REDIRECT [[#REDIRECT [[ ---- ---- <math><math><math>[[Media:[[Media: == == == == == == [[[[[[color = pink]]]]]] == == == == == ==]]]] </math></math>]]]]]]]]]]]]]] == == ==]]]</nowiki> ==</math>]]]] | name = Crotalinae | image = TimberRattler. ... Synonyms Crotalus - Linnaeus, 1758 Crotalophorus - Houttuyn, 1764 Caudisona - Laurenti, 1768 Crotalinus - Rafinesque, 1815 Crotalurus - Rafinesque, 1820 Crotulurus - Rafinesque, 1820 Uropsophus - Wagler, 1830 Urocrotalon - Fitzinger, 1843 Aploaspis - Cope, 1867 Aechmophrys - Coues In Wheeler, 1875 Haploaspis - Cope, 1883 Paracrotalus - Reuss, 1930[1] Common names: rattlesnakes. ... Latin name redirects here. ... Spencer Fullerton Baird Spencer Fullerton Baird (February 3, 1823 – August 19, 1887) was an American ornithologist and ichthyologist. ... Charles Frédéric Girard (March 8, 1822 - January 29, 1895) was a French biologist specializing on ichthyology and herpetology. ... In scientific nomenclature, synonyms are different scientific names used for a single taxon. ... Binomial name Baird & Girard, 1853 Synonyms Crotalus cinereous - Le Conte In Hallowell, 1852 Crotalus atrox - Baird & Girard, 1853 Crotalus adamanteus var. ... A venomous snake is a snake that uses modified saliva, venom, delivered through fangs in its mouth, to immobilize or kill its prey. ... {{Taxobox[[{| class=wikitable |- ]]</nowiki>]] --> </gallery> |} |}]]| [[Image:[[Media:Failed to parse (unknown error): == <nowiki>#REDIRECT [[<sup><small>[ == == == [[Image:[[Image:[[Media:[[Media:#REDIRECT [[#REDIRECT [[#REDIRECT [[ ---- ---- <math><math><math>[[Media:[[Media: == == == == == == [[[[[[color = pink]]]]]] == == == == == ==]]]] </math></math>]]]]]]]]]]]]]] == == ==]]]</nowiki> ==</math>]]]] | name = Crotalinae | image = TimberRattler. ... For other uses, see Species (disambiguation). ... Binomial name Palisot de Beauvois, 1799 Synonyms Crotalus adamanteus - Palisot de Beauvois, 1799 Crotalus rhombifer - Latreille In Sonnini & Latreille, 1801 Crotalus rhombiferus - Brickell, 1805 Crotalus adamanteus var. ...

Description

C. atrox

Adults commonly grow to 120 cm in length. Specimens over 150 cm are infrequently encountered, while those over 180 cm are very rare. The maximum reported length considered to be reliable is 213 cm (Klauber, 1972). Males become much larger than females, although this difference in size does not occur until after they have reached sexual maturity.^[5] Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 532 pixelsFull resolution (3008 × 2000 pixel, file size: 3. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 532 pixelsFull resolution (3008 × 2000 pixel, file size: 3. ...

The color pattern generally consists of a 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 24-25 dorsal body blotches that are dark gray-brown to brown in color. The first of these may be a pair of short stripes that extend backwards to eventually merge. Some of the first few blotches may be somewhat rectangular, but then become more hexagonal and eventually take on a distinctive diamond shape. The tail has 2-8 (usually 4-6) black bands separated by interspaces that are ash white or pale gray. There is a postocular stripe that is smoky gray or dark gray-brown and extends diagonally from the lower edge of the eye across the side of the head. This stripe is usually bordered below by a white stripe running from the upper preocular down to the supralabials just below and behind the eye.^[5] Atheris ceratophora In scaled reptiles, the ocular scales are those forming the margin of the eye. ... Atheris ceratophora In reptiles, the supralabial scales, also called upper-labials, are those scales that border the mouth opening along the upper jaw. ...

The wide range of this species overlaps, or is close to that of many others. It may be confused with them, but there are differences. The Mohave rattlesnake, C. scutulatus, also has tail rings, but the black rings are narrow relative to the pale ones. The timber rattlesnake, C. horridus, has no tail rings. In the western rattlesnake, C. oreganus, the pale tail rings are the same color as the ground color. The tail of the black-tailed rattlesnake, C. molossus, is a uniform black, or has tail rings that are indistinct. The Mexican west coast rattlesnake, C. basiliscus, also has a tail that is mostly dark with rings that are obscure or absent. The tiger rattlesnake, C. tigris, has a relatively small head and large rattle along with a dorsal pattern that consists more of crossbands. The Middle American rattlesnake, C. simus, has a tail without any rings that is generally a uniform gray, as well as a pair of distinctive paravertebral stripes that run down the neck. Members of the genus Sistrurus lack tail rings and have enlarged head plates.^[5] Binomial name Crotalus scutulatus (Kennicott, 1861) Synonyms Caudisona scutulata - Kennicott, 1861 C[rotalus]. scutulatus - Cope In Yarrow In Wheeler, 1875 Crotalus adamanteus scutulatus - Cope, 1875 Crotalus scutulatus - Boulenger, 1896 Crotalus confluentus kellyi - Amaral, 1929 Crotalus scutulatus scutulatus - Gloyd, 1940[1] Common names: Mohave rattlesnake,[2][3][4] Mojave green,[3... Binomial name Linnaeus, 1758 Synonyms Crotalus horridus - Linnaeus, 1758 Crotalus boiquira - Lacépède, 1989 Crotalus atricaudatus - Latreille In Sonnini & Latreille, 1801 Crotalus zetazomae - Brickell, 1805 Crotalinus cyanurus - Rafinesque, 1818 Crotalus catesbaei - Hemprich, 1820 Crotalurus cyanurus - Rafinesque, 1820 Caudisona horrida - Fleming, 1822 C[rotalus]. horidus - Gray, 1825 Crotalus durissus var. ... Trinomial name Crotalus oreganus Holbrook, 1840 Synonyms Crotalus oreganus - Holbrook, 1840 Crotalus oregonus - Holbrook, 1842 Crotalus lucifer - Baird & Girard, 1852 C[rotalus]. adamanteus var. ... Binomial name Crotalus molossus Baird and Girard, 1853 Crotalus molossus is a venomous rattlesnake species found in the South-Western United States and Mexico. ... Binomial name Crotalus basiliscus Cope, 1864 Crotalus basiliscus is a venomous rattlesnake species found in Mexico (in the states of Sinaloa, Nayarit, Jalisco, Colima, Michoacán). ... Binomial name Crotalus tigris Kennicott, 1859 Synonyms Crotalus tigris - Kennicott In Baird, 1859 C[audisona]. tigris - Cope, 1867 Crotalus tigris - Boulenger, 1896 Crotalus tigris tigris - Amaral, 1929[1] Common names: tiger rattlesnake, tiger rattler. ... Synonyms Crotalophorus - Gray, 1825 Caudisona - Fitzinger, 1826 Sistrurus - Garman, 1884[1] Common names: massasaugas, pigmy rattlesnakes. ...

Common names

Western diamondback rattlesnake, western diamond-backed rattlesnake,^[2] Adobe snake, Arizona diamond rattlesnake, coon tail, desert diamond-back, desert diamond rattlesnake, fierce rattlesnake, spitting rattlesnake, Texan rattlesnake, Texas diamond-back (rattlesnake),^[3] western diamond rattlesnake.^[6]

Geographic range

Found in the United States from central Arkansas and southeastern California, south into Mexico as far as northern Sinaloa, Hidalgo and northern Veracruz. Disjunct populations exist in southern Veracruz and southeastern Oaxaca. The type locality given is "Indianola" (Indianola, Calhoun County, Texas, USA).^[1] This article is about the U.S. State. ... This article is about the U.S. state. ... Location within Mexico Municipalities of Sinaloa Country Mexico Capital Municipalities 18 Government  - Governor Jesús Alberto Aguilar Padilla  - Federal Deputies PRI: 6 PAN: 2  - Federal Senators PRI: 2 PAN: 1 Area Ranked 18th  - Total 58,238 km² (22,485. ... Hidalgo is a state in central Mexico, with an area of 20,502 km². In 2000 the state had a population of some 2,231,000 people. ... Location within Mexico Country Capital Municipalities 212 Largest City Veracruz Government  - Governor Fidel Herrera Beltrán (PRI)  - Federal Deputies PRI: 6 PAN: 11 PRD: 2 Convergencia: 2  - Federal Senators PRD: 1 PAN: 1 Convergencia: 1 Area Ranked 11th  - Total 71,699 km² (27,683. ... Catedral de Santo Domingo The Free and Sovereign State of Oaxaca or simply Oaxaca   is one of the 31 states of Mexico, located in the southern part of Mexico, west of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. ... In biology the term type locality is used to refer to the location at which a type specimen was collected. ... Indianola, Texas in 1875 Indianola, Texas is a ghost town located on Matagorda Bay, and was formerly the county seat of Calhoun County. ... Location in the state of Texas Formed 1846 Seat Port Lavaca Area  - Total  - Water 2,673 km² (1,032 mi²) 1,346 km² (520 mi²) 50. ...

In the United States it occurs in the following states: central and western Arkansas, Oklahoma excluding the northeast, north-central region and the panhandle, Texas excluding the northern panhandle and the east, southern and central New Mexico and Arizona, extreme southern Nevada, and in southeastern California on either side of the Chocolate Mountains. Records from extreme southern Kansas (Cowley and Sumner Counties) may be based on a natural occurrence of the species, while multiple records from near Kanopolis Reservoir in Ellsworth County seem to indicate a viable (although isolated) population.^[5] For other uses, see Oklahoma (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Texas (disambiguation). ... Official language(s) None Spoken language(s) English 68. ... Official language(s) English Spoken language(s) English 74. ... This article is about the U.S. State of Nevada. ... The Chocolate Mountains of California are located in Imperial County and Riverside County in the Colorado Desert in southern California. ... This article is about the U.S. state. ... Cowley County (standard abbreviation: CL) is a county located in south-central Kansas, in the central United States. ... Sumner County (standard abbreviation: SU) is a county located in the state of Kansas. ... Ellsworth County (standard abbreviation: EW) is a county located in the state of Kansas. ...

In Mexico it occurs in the following states: Nuevo León, Coahuila, Chihuahua, Sonora, extreme northeastern Baja California (state), northern Sinaloa, northeastern Durango, Zacatecas, most of San Luis Potosí, northern Veracruz, Hidalgo and Querétaro. Specimens have been collected in the mountains, northwest of Tehuantepec, Oaxaca on numerous occasions, but have not been reported there since the 1940s.^[5] Location within Mexico Country Mexico Capital Municipalities 51 Largest City Monterrey Government  - Governor Natividad González Parás  - Federal Deputies PAN: 7 PRI: 5  - Federal Senators PAN :2 PRI: 1 Area Ranked 13th  - Total 64,210 km² (24,791. ... Coahuila (formal name: Coahuila de Zaragoza) is one of Mexicos 31 component states. ... THEY SUC |native_name = |nickname = Lady of the Desert |settlement_type = |motto = |image_skyline = |imagesize = |image_caption = |image_flag = Mexico stateflags Chihuahua. ... Sonora is a state in northwestern Mexico, bordering the states of Chihuahua to the east, Sinaloa to the south, and Baja California to the northwest. ... Location within Mexico Municipalities of Baja California Country Capital Municipalities 5 Largest City Tijuana Government  - Governor José Guadalupe Osuna Millán (PAN)  - Federal Deputies PAN: 8  - Federal Senators Alejandro González (PAN) Rafael Díaz (PAN) Fernando Castro (PRI) Area Ranked 12th  - Total 69,921 km² (26,996. ... Location within Mexico Municipalities of Sinaloa Country Mexico Capital Municipalities 18 Government  - Governor Jesús Alberto Aguilar Padilla  - Federal Deputies PRI: 6 PAN: 2  - Federal Senators PRI: 2 PAN: 1 Area Ranked 18th  - Total 58,238 km² (22,485. ... Durango (IPA pronunciation ) is one of the constituent states of Mexico. ... This article is about a state of Mexico. ... The Mexican state of San Luis Potosí has an area of 62,848 km² (24,266 mi²). It is in the north-central part of the Mexican republic, bordered by the states of Jalisco, Guanajuato, Querétaro, Hidalgo, Veracruz, Tamaulipas, Nuevo León, Coahuila, and Zacatecas. ... Querétaro (formal name: Querétaro Arteaga) is a state in central Mexico. ...

This species has 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.^[5] The Gulf of California (also known as the Sea of Cortez or Sea of Cortés; locally known in the Spanish language as Mar de Cortés or, much less frequently, Golfo de California) is a body of water that separates the Baja California Peninsula from the Mexican mainland. ... Tiburón Island (Spanish: Isla del Tiburón; Seri: Tahéjöc) is the largest island in the Gulf of California. ...

Habitat

Found in areas ranging from flat coastal plains to steep rocky canyons and hillsides. It is associated with many different vegetation types, including desert, sandy creosote areas, mesquite grassland, desertscrub, and pine-oak forests. Towards the southern edge of its range, this species may be found in thornforest and tropical deciduous forest.^[5]

Conservation status

This species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (v3.1, 2001).^[7] Species are listed as such due to their wide distribution, presumed large population, or because it is unlikely to be declining fast enough to qualify for listing in a more threatened category. The population trend is stable. Year assessed: 2007.^[8] The World Conservation Union or International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) is an international organization dedicated to natural resource conservation. ... The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (also known as the IUCN Red List and Red Data List), created in 1963, is the worlds most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of plant and animal species and can be found here. ...

They are also heavily collected from the wild, frequently being drawn out of their hiding places with gasoline, and used in rattlesnake roundups where they are killed for entertainment. Despite this, their population is not considered to be threatened.

Behavior

Life expectancy is more than twenty years, but is typically shorter because of hunting and human expansion. Solitary outside of mating season, they are one of the more aggressive rattlesnake species found in North America because they rarely back away from confrontation. When threatened they usually coil and rattle to warn aggressors. There is suspicion that rattlesnakes living around human population centers do not rattle as often because it leads to the snake’s discovery and consequent destruction. However, there is little available evidence of this hypothesis.

C. atrox, patternless specimen.

In the winter, they hibernate in caves or burrows sometimes with many other species of snakes. They are poor climbers. Although adult specimens have no natural predators, hawks, eagles, and other snakes have been known to prey on young or adolescent individuals. Image File history File links Patternless_Crotalus_atrox. ... Image File history File links Patternless_Crotalus_atrox. ...

Usually inactive between late October and early March, although occasionally they may be seen sunning themselves on warm winter days.

Feeding

A comprehensive study by Beavers (1976) on the prey of C. atrox in Texas showed that by weight 94.8% of prey consisted of small mammals.^[5] According to Pisani and Stephenson (1991), who conducted a a study of the stomach contents of C. atrox in the fall and spring on Oklahoma, mammalian prey included prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus), kangaroo rats (Dipodomys ordii), pocket gophers (Geomys bursarius and Cratogeomys castanops), voles (Microtus ochrogaster), woodrats (Neotoma floridana), pocket mice (Perognathus hispidus and P. flavescens), white-footed mice (Peromyscus leucopus and P. maniculatus), Old World rats and mice (Rattus norvegicus and Mus ssp.), harvest mice (Reithrodontomys megalotis), fox squirrels (Sciurus niger), cotton rats (Sigmodon hispidus), ground squirrels (Spermophilus spilosoma), rabbits (Sylvilagus floridanus), jackrabbits (Lepus californicus), and an unidentified mole species.^[5] Klauber (1972) mentions that large specimens are capable of swallowing adult cottontail rabbits and even adult jackrabbits, although he figured the latter required confirmation.^[9] For other uses, see Oklahoma (disambiguation). ... Species Cynomys gunnisoni Cynomys leucurus Cynomys ludovicianus Cynomys mexicanus Cynomys parvidens Prairie dogs are small stout-bodied burrowing rodents with shallow cheek pouches native to both North and Central America. ... Binomial name Woodhouse, 1853 Ords Kangaroo Rat, Dipodomys ordii, is a kangaroo rat that is native to Western North America, specifically the Great Plains and the Great Basin with its range extending from extreme southern Canada to central Mexico[1]. Ords Kangaroo Rat has a 5th toe on... Binomial name (Shaw, 1800) The Plains Pocket Gopher (Geomys bursarius) is a species of rodent in the Geomyidae family. ... Binomial name Merriam, 1895 The Yellow-faced Pocket Gopher, Cratogeomys castanops, is a pocket gopher that is native to the shortgrass prairie in Southwestern North America and Northern Mexico. ... Binomial name (Wagner, 1842) The Prairie Vole, Microtus ochrogaster, is a small vole found in central North America. ... Binomial name (Ord, 1818) The Florida Woodrat (Neotoma floridana), is found in the central and eastern United States. ... Binomial name (Baird, 1858) The hispid pocket mouse (Chaetodipus hispidus) is a large pocket mouse native to the Great Plains region of North America. ... Binomial name Merriam, 1889 The Plains Pocket Mouse (Perognathus flavescens) has soft silky fur and grows to be 5 inches long, although nearly half of that is the tail. ... Binomial name Peromyscus leucopus (Rafinesque, 1818) Peromyscus leucopus is a rodent native to North America. ... Binomial name Peromyscus maniculatus (Wagner, 1845) Peromyscus maniculatus is rodent native to North America. ... Binomial name Rattus norvegicus (Berkenhout, 1769) The Brown Rat or Norway Rat (Rattus norvegicus) is one of the most well-known and common rats, and also one of the largest. ... Feral mouse A mouse (plural mice) is a rodent that belongs to one of numerous species of small mammals. ... Binomial name (Baird, 1857) The Western Harvest Mouse (Reithrodontomys megalotis) is a small neotomine mouse native to southwest British Columbia, most of the western United States extending continuously to west Texas, northeast Arkansas, northwest Indiana, southwest Wisconsin, the interior of Mexico to Oaxaca. ... Binomial name Sciurus niger Linnaeus, 1758 The Fox Squirrel (Sciurus niger), also known as the cat squirrel or stump-eared squirrel, is the largest species of tree squirrel native to North America. ... Binomial name Say and Ord, 1825 The Hispid Cotton Rat, Sigmodon hispidus, is a rodent species long thought to occur in parts of South America, Central America, and southern North America. ... Binomial name Bennett, 1833 The Spotted Ground Squirrel (Spermophilus spilosoma) is a species of rodent in the Sciuridae family. ... Binomial name Sylvilagus floridanus J. A. Allen, 1890 The Eastern Cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus) is a New World cottontail rabbit, a member of the family Leporidae. ... Binomial name Lepus californicus Gray, 1837 The Black-tailed Jackrabbit (Lepus californicus) is the common hare of the western United States and Mexico, found at elevations of up to 3000 m. ...

Bird and lizards are also preyed upon, with lizards mostly being eaten by young snakes. Avians include: mockingbirds (Mimidae), quail, a nearly full-grown Gambel's quail, a burrowing owl (Athene cunicularia),^[9] a fledgling horned lark (Eremophila alpestris) a black-throated sparrow (Amphispiza bilineata), and an eastern meadowlark (Sturnella magna).^[5] Lizards include: a whiptail lizard (Cnemidophorus), Spiny lizards (Sceloporus), a Texas banded gecko (Coleonyx brevis),^[9] and a side-blotched lizard (Uta palmeri). One case reported by Vorhies (1948) involved a juvenile specimen that had attempted to eat a horned lizard (Phrynosoma solare), but died after the lizard's horns had punctured its esophagus, leaving the lizard stuck there.^[5] Genera Cinclocerthia Dumetella Margarops Melanoptila Melanotis Mimodes Mimus Nesomimus Oreoscoptes Ramphocinclus Toxostoma The Mimids are a New World family of passerine birds that includes thrashers, mockingbirds, tremblers, and the New World catbirds. ... This article is about the bird. ... Binomial name Athene cunicularia (Molina, 1782) The Burrowing Owl, Athene cunicularia, is a small owl. ... Binomial name Eremophila alpestris (Linnaeus, 1758) The Shore Lark (Eremophila alpestris), called the Horned Lark in North America, breeds across much of North America from the high Arctic south to the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, northernmost Europe and Asia and in the mountains of southeast Europe. ... Binomial name Amphispiza Bilineata (Cassin,, 1850) The Black-throated Sparrow, Amphispiza bilineata, is a small sparrow. ... Binomial name Sturnella magna (Linnaeus, 1758) The Eastern Meadowlark, Sturnella magna, is a medium-sized blackbird, very similar in appearance to the Western Meadowlark. ... Cnemidophorus is a lizard genus which belongs to the family of Teiidae. ... Species many, see text The Spiny Lizards are the genus Sceloporus in the family Phrynosomatidae. ... Binomial name Coleonyx brevis Stejneger, 1893 The Texas Banded Gecko, (Coleonyx brevis) is a species of small gecko native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. ... The esophagus or oesophagus (see American and British English spelling differences), sometimes known as the gullet, is an organ in vertebrates which consists of a muscular tube through which food passes from the pharynx to the stomach. ...

Hermann (1950) reported that C. atrox also feeds on lubber grasshoppers (Brachystola magna). Klauber (1972) once found a single specimen in which the stomach contents included grasshoppers, beetles and ants. However, mammal hairs and an iguanid lizards were also found in the same stomach, which made it more likely that the insects had first been eaten by the mammal or the lizard before they had been eaten by the snake.^[9] Genera Amblyrhynchus Brachylophus Conolophus Ctenosaura Cyclura Dipsosaurus Iguana Sauromalus Frost et al. ...

They hunt (or ambush prey) at night or in the early morning.

These snakes can go for up to two years without food in the wild. A 5½ month starvation study showed that the snakes reduced energy expenditures by an average of 80% over the length of the study. The snakes also feed from within on energy-rich lipid stores. The most interesting finding was that the snakes grew during the study, indicating that while the snake's mass was shrinking, it was putting its resources into skeletal muscles and bone.^[10]

A key participant in the food web, it is an important predator of many small rodents, rabbits, and birds. In turn it is preyed upon by a variety of larger mammals and birds, such as coyotes, foxes, and hawks. It is primarily a nocturnal animal, hunting for its prey on warm summer nights. It is, however, seasonally diurnal, moving between hunting sites during the day during the cooler spring and fall months.

Reproduction

Rattlesnakes, including C. atrox, are viviparous. Gestation period lasts six or seven months and broods average about a dozen young. However, the young only stay with the mother for a few hours before they set off on their own to hunt and find recluse, thus the mortality rate is very high.The Western Diamondback Rattlesnake is the most commonly encountered rattlesnake in Texas. The Western Diamondback is the longest rattlesnake in the state, and one of the two heaviest (the other is the Timber Rattlesnake). The record length is over 213 cm (84 in); adults found in the wild typically measure between 0.91-1.21 m (3-4 ft). Its common name does not come unearned; a series of diamond-shaped blotches runs down the length of its back, and each blotch is surrounded by a light border. A background coloration of tan or brown surrounds the blotches, and the dorsal coloration varies tremendously over its distributional range. This rattlesnake can easily be distinguished by its black and white tail, which also earns the western diamondback the name "coontail" (also, see below). Its off-white belly is usually unmarked, its anal scale is undivided, and its dorsal scales are extremely keeled, often in rows of 25 to 27 near midbody. A viviparous animal is an animal employing vivipary, a method of reproduction in which the embryo develops inside the body of the mother from which it gains nourishment, and not from an egg. ...

Mating occurs in the spring and the females give birth to as many as 25 young, which may be as long as 30 cm (12 inches) in length. The young are fully capable of delivering a venomous bite from the moment they are born.

Captivity

Frequently bred in captivity, this species is readily available in the exotic animal trade. Many color variations are bred, including albinos, patternless, and melanistic. Albinism is a genetic condition resulting in a lack of pigmentation in the eyes, skin and hair. ... Melanism is an increased amount of black or nearly black pigmentation (as of skin, feathers, or hair) of an individual or kind of organism. ...

Venom

C. atrox

Although the venom of the diamondback isn't particularly toxic, the size of the snake allows a larger capacity of venom which is released from its two prominent fangs. It's not uncommon that only one bite mark from one fang is visible after a strike. Fangs can break or bend, or the bite area may be small, causing a miss. All pit vipers have the ability to control the flow of venom through their fangs, allowing the diamondback to release most of its venom in a single strike (though often a pit viper will not release any of its venom). Download high resolution version (945x945, 271 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Download high resolution version (945x945, 271 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Wasp sting, with droplet of venom Venom (literally, poison of animal origin) is any of a variety of toxins used by animals, for the purpose of defense and hunting. ...

Most of the toxin released is proteolytic like all other American pit vipers. Proteolytic venoms are, in fact, advanced and concentrated fluids that destroy tissues and other cells through intramolecular digestion. A few toxic effects include: cytotoxic (destroys cells), hemotoxic (destroys red blood cells), myotoxic (causes paralysis and muscle destruction), hemorrhagic (causes persistent bleeding). Smaller amounts of neurotoxins are also present. Unlike neurotoxins, hemotoxin envenomations becomes quickly apparent; the area around the wound swells at a rapid rate. Discoloration and pain are also experienced shortly after being bitten. Professional medical attention should be sought immediately, especially when the victim is a child. The smaller the victim the less time it takes for the venom to spread. Although it is commonly believed that baby or young rattlesnakes deliver more concentrated venom and are thus more dangerous, this idea is not supported by scientific evidence. The amount of venom delivered is a much more important indicator of the bite's danger than the venom's concentration, and since larger (older) snakes can deliver much more venom, larger rattlesnakes should always be considered more dangerous even though many bites from adult snakes are "dry" Proteolysis is the directed degradation (digestion) of proteins by cellular enzymes called proteases or by intramolecular digestion. ... Cytotoxicity is the quality of being poisonous to cells. ... Hemotoxins are toxins that destroy red blood cells (hemolysis), disrupt blood clotting, and/or cause organ degeneration and generalized tissue damage. ... Myotoxins are small, basic peptides found in snake venoms, such as in that of certain rattlesnakes. ... Paralysed redirects here. ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert in the field of medicine. ...

Gallery

C. atrox, albino specimen. Image File history File links Albino_Crotalus_atrox. ...	C. atrox, melanistic specimen. Image File history File links Melanistic_Crotalus_atrox. ...	C. atrox.	C. atrox. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 705 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (2540 × 2159 pixel, file size: 7. ...
C. atrox (Texas). For other uses, see Texas (disambiguation). ...

See also

• List of crotaline species and subspecies
• Crotalus by common name
• Crotalus by taxonomic synonyms
• Crotalinae by common name
• Crotalinae by taxonomic synonyms
• Snakebite

A snakebite, or snake bite, is a bite inflicted by a snake. ...

References

The Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) is a partnership designed to provide consistent and reliable information on the taxonomy of biological species. ... is the 332nd day of the year (333rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 256th day of the year (257th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 256th day of the year (257th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 96th day of the year (97th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Further reading

is the 238th day of the year (239th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ...

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Crotalus atrox

• Crotalus atrox at the TIGR Reptile Database. Accessed 26 August 2007.
• The Rattlesnakes of Arizona at jqjacobs.net. Accessed 4 January 2008.
• Crotalus atrox at The Big Zoo. Accessed 26 August 2007.
• Crotalus atrox care sheet at Venom-Center. Accessed 4 January 2008.