Crotalus atrox (Western Diamond-backed Rattlesnake)

Overview

[ Back to top ]

New Mexico Amelanistic Western Diamondback Rattlesnake

Interesting Facts

[ Back to top ]

Rattlesnakes are important members of the natural community. They will not attack, but if disturbed or cornered, they will defend themselves. Reasonable watchfulness should be sufficient to avoid snakebite. Give them distance and respect.[1]
The Western Diamondback Rattlesnake is a venomous pit viper 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.
The Western Diamondback Rattlesnake, Crotalus atrox, Crotalus comes from the Greek word crotalon meaning a rattle or a little bell; atrox comes from the Latin word atroc which means hideous or savage. The diamondback rattlesnake has one of the most serious bites with the highest fatality rate in North America. The Diamondback is also the heaviest of all poisonous snakes . This rattlesnake is classified among the pit vipers. Vipers have a head broader than their neck, eyes with catlike pupils, and thick bodies.
The Western Diamondback is a rigid snake and has the reputation of standing its ground . Just like all of the rattlesnakes, this species is venomous. They are not actually prone to attack offensively, but are extremely defensive. This particular snake assumes the threat posture by slightly flattening the body, rolling it together in a spiral , lifting the forebody from the ground into an S-shape, all while keeping the tail raised and the rattle rattling! This snake can lift its forebody up to 80 cm.. in the air .
The Western Diamondback rattlesnake is a viper, and the vipers have a pair of long hollow fangs in the upper jaw. Their poison is sent out through the two teeth. When the fangs are not being used, they simply fold back into the mouth . Like shark's teeth, the fangs are continually replaced, with new fangs moving into position about every 60 days. The venom is primarily hemotoxic, attacking blood vessels , blood cells and the heart. Snake venoms are derivatives of digestive enzymes and venom injection is as much a process of "tenderizing" the prey as of killing it. Although about a third of time, the snake bites defensively without injecting any venom, a bite by this particular snake is quite serious and potentially dangerous if medical attention is not sought immediately.
A snake preparing to strike will gather its body into a defensive coil , from which the upper part of the body can be rapidly extended forward. The speed of the strike is too fast to be followed by the human eye. If provoked into striking repeatedly, the snake will begin to tire and move more slowly. The snake need not be in this position to bite, however; it can strike from any angle , even underwater.
This venomous snake has a pit organ which is in an indentation of the upper jaw between the nostril and the eye. The pit is about 5 mm deep, with an outer and inner chamber separated by a thin membrane . The pits are heat sensing organs that help detect warm blooded prey. Its primary food items are birds and mammals, but it will also eat reptiles and amphibians , invertebrates and an occasional fish.
The snake adjust its activity periods according to temperature , active during the evening in hot weather and during the day when the weather is cooler.

Common Names

[ Back to top ]

Click on the language to view common names.

Common Names in English:

Western Diamond-backed Rattlesnake, Western Diamondback Rattlesnake, Westliche Diamantklapperschlange

Common Names in German:

Texas-Klapperschlange

Description

[ Back to top ]

Physical Description

Species Crotalus atrox

The largest rattlesnake in California, and in the West. Heavy-bodied, dangerously venomous , with a thin neck and a large triangular head . Pupils are elliptical . Scales are keeled . Sometimes 3, but usually 4 or more small scales occur on top of the head between the supraocular scales. (The Northern Mojave Rattlesnake has 2 large scales between the supraocular scales.)[1]

The ground color and the intensity of the pattern are variable, often matching the habitat ; grey, brown, olive, tan, or yellowish. Diamond-shaped blotches on the back are brown or black, with light edges . Broad black and white rings , fairly equal in width , circle a thick tail with a rattle , consisting of loose interlocking segments, at the end. A new rattle segment is added each time the skin is shed. Newborn snakes do not have a rattle - just a single button which does not make a sound . A light stripe extends from behind the eye diagonally to the upper lip in front of the corner of the mouth crossing over the lip. (The posterior light stripe of the Northern Mohave Rattlesnake extends back beyond the corner of the mouth and does not cross the lip.)[1]

A pit viper with pits on the sides of the head which sense heat. These heat sensors help the snake to locate prey by their warmth. Long, hollow, movable fangs connected to venom glands inject a very toxic venom which quickly immobilize the prey. The snake can control the amount of venom injected and the fangs are replaced if broken . Bites on humans are potentially deadly without immediate medical treatment. Even a dead snake can bite and inject venom if the jaws reflexively open when they are touched.[1]

Size/Age/Growth

Adults 30-90 inches (76-229 cm). The average size of snakes most encountered is 1 to 4 feet in length .[1]

Habitat

Dry, rocky, shrub covered terrain where they can conceal themselves.

Inhabits arid and semiarid areas including mountains, deserts, canyons and rocky vegetated foothills, generally less than 1000 ft . elevation (300 m ).[1]

Ecology: The species' habitat encompasses arid and semi-arid regions, from plains to mountains and from sandy flats to rocky uplands , including desert, grassland, shrubland, woodland, open pine forest , river bottoms , and coastal islands (Degenhardt et al. 1996, Tennant 1998, Werler and Dixon 2000, Stebbins 2003, Campbell and Lamar 2004). In southeastern Arizona, this snake is more numerous in desert scrub than in semi-desert grassland (Mendelson and Jennings 1992). It hibernates in rock crevices or cavities or sometimes in animal burrows or under other cover (Ernst 1992). Hibernation sometimes occurs communally in brushy upland ridges. A population in southeastern Arizona used mainly creosote bush flats but switched to rocky slopes during winter (Beck 1995). This primarily terrestrial snake sometimes climbs into vegetation or enters water.[2].

List of Habitats:

1 Forest
1.4 Forest - Temperate
2 Savanna
2.1 Savanna - Dry
3 Shrubland
3.5 Shrubland - Subtropical/Tropical Dry
4 Grassland
4.4 Grassland - Temperate
4.5 Grassland - Subtropical/Tropical Dry
6 Rocky areas (eg. inland cliffs , mountain peaks)
8 Desert
8.1 Desert - Hot
8.2 Desert - Temperate

[more info]

Biology

[ Back to top ]

Diet

Eats small mammals, birds, lizards. Juveniles sometimes eat large insects and frogs .[1]

Reproduction

Crotalus atrox will reach its sexual maturity at three years. Following hibernation, mating will occur in the spring .

Live-bearing. Males engage in ritual combat mostly during the breeding season to defend territory. Necks and forebodies are intertwined, with the stronger snake slamming the smaller one to the ground until the weaker snake leaves the area.[1]

The female diamondback is passive during the mating process , while the male snake will crawl in jerks on top of the female snake, all while he is flicking his tongue. He then will jerk the hind portion of his body vigorously, pressing his tail beneath his partner, who in turn will lift her tail. Their cloacas will make contact, and copulation will occur. The gestation period will last for 167 days! The birthing process may last for three to five hours and produce ten to twenty young. The young will puncture their thin egg membranes right before birth and are born alive!

Behavior

Primarily nocturnal during periods of excessive daytime heat, but also active during daylight when the temperature is more moderate. Not active during cooler periods in Winter. An ambush hunter, it typically sits near the trail of a mammal, waiting for it to pass by, then strikes at and releases the prey . The snake then follows the trail of the envenomated animal and swallows it whole. When alarmed, a rattlesnake shakes its tail back and forth. The movement rubs the rattle segments together producing a buzzing sound which serves as a warning. When disturbed , in self-defense Western Diamond-backs will often aggressively hold their ground , raising the head high in a striking coil with the tail elevated and rattling, and hissing loudly. Juveniles are born with only a silent button at the end of the tail.[1]

Taxonomy

[ Back to top ]

Domain: Eukaryota () - Whittaker & Margulis,1978 - eukaryotes
- Kingdom: Animalia () - C. Linnaeus, 1758 - animals
  - Subkingdom: Bilateria () - (Hatschek, 1888) Cavalier-Smith, 1983
    - Branch: Deuterostomia () - Grobben, 1908
      - Infrakingdom: Chordonia () - (Haeckel, 1874) Cavalier-Smith, 1998
        Phylum: Chordata () - Bateson, 1885 - Chordates
        Subphylum: Vertebrata () - Cuvier, 1812 - Vertebrates
        Infraphylum: Gnathostomata () - auct. - Jawed Vertebrates
        Superclass: Tetrapoda () - Goodrich, 1930
        Subclass: Diapsida ()
        Infraclass: Lepidosauromorpha ()
        Superorder: Lepidosauria () -
        Order: Squamata ()
        Suborder: Serpentes () - (C. Linnaeus, 1758)
        Superfamily: Colubroidea ()
        Family: Viperidae ()
        Subfamily: Crotalinae ()
        Genus: Crotalus () - Linnaeus, 1758
        Specific name: atrox - Baird & Girard, 1853
        Scientific name: - Crotalus atrox Baird & Girard, 1853

Synonyms

Campbell and TourÉ 1999: 277 • Conocephalus striatulus Duméril and Bibron 1854: 140 • Crotalus atrox — Conant and Collins 1991: 235 • Crotalus atrox — Liner 1994 • Crotalus atrox — Mcdiarmid • Crotalus atrox — Stebbins 1985: 226 • Crotalus confluentus Boulenger 1896 • Crotalus confluentus Say 1823: 48 • Crotalus confluentus — Burt 1935 • Crotalus confluentus — DumÉril and Bibron 1854: 1476 • Crotalus confluentus — TrÉcul 1876: 440 • Falconeria bengalensis Theobald 1868: 37 (Fide Bauer and Das 1999) • Haldea striatula ? Baird and Girard 1853: 122 • Natrix striatulus Merrem 1820: 118

Notes

Name Status: Accepted Name .

Comment: Venomous! Crotalus atrox is responsible for most casualties through snakebite in North America.

Similar Species

[ Back to top ]

Similar to and easily confused with the Northern Mohave Rattlesnake, though there is little range overlap in California. Also similar to and easily confused with the Red Diamond Rattlesnake, but in California the ranges of these two snakes barely meet, and the Red Diamond Rattlesnake is typically light reddish brown or red in color. (Ref. 109982)

Members of the genus Crotalus

ZipcodeZoo has pages for 85 species and subspecies in this genus:

More Info

[ Back to top ]

Search for Pictures: images.google.com
Search for Scholarly Articles: Google Scholar
Search using Scientific Name and Vernacular Names: All the Web | AltaVista Canada | AltaVista | Excite | Google | HotBot | Lycos
Search using Specialized Databases: GenBank | Medline | Scirus | CISTI/CAL | Agricola Periodicals | Agricola Books

A check list of North American amphibians and reptiles / by Leonhard Stejneger and Thomas Barbour. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1933. url p. 132.
A comparison of growth and rattle strings in three species of rattlesnakes / by Henry S. Fitch. 2002 Lawrence, Kan.: Natural History Museum, University of Kansas, [2002] url , p. 1, p. 2, p. 4, fig. 1, page 5, p. 6.
A synoptic text-book of zoölogy, for colleges and schools / by Arthur Wisswald Weysse. New York: Macmillan, 1904, c1903. url , p. 320.
Abstract of the proceedings of the Linnaean Society of New York. [New York]: The Society, [1889-1932]. url p. 108, p. 57.
Amphibians and reptiles of Northern Coahuila, Mexico, by Karl P. Schmidt and David W. Owens. 29 1944 Chicago, 1944 url p. 114.
Amphibians and reptiles of the Big Bend region of Texas, by Karl P. Schmidt and Tarleton F. Smith. 29 1944 Chicago, 1944 url p. 78, p. 94.
An annotated list of a collection of reptiles from southern and northern Lower California. 7 1905 Chicago: Field Columbian Museum, 1905. url p. 18.
Animal Ecology. Englewood Cliffs, N.J., Prentice-Hall, 1961. url p. 462.
Animal life of the Carlsbad cavern, by Vernon Bailey. .. Baltimore, The Williams & Wilkins Company, 1928. url p. 163, p. 189.
Annual report of the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution. Washington: Smithsonian Institution, -1965. url , , p. 101, p. 109, p. 114, p. 1158, p. 117, p. 126, p. 132, p. 136, p. 140, p. 144, p. 157, p. 158, p. 161, p. 163, p. 175, p. 423, p. 439, p. 441, p. 442, p. 443, p. 485, p. 89, p. 93, p. 95, p. 95, p. 99.
Asiatic herpetological research. 6 1995 Berkeley, Calif.: Asiatic Herpetological Research Society; c1990- url mao, wang, xiong & lu, page 78.
Breviora. 1961 Cambridge, Mass.: Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, [1952- url p. 1.
Bulletin - United States National Museum. Washington: Smithsonian Institution Press, [etc.];1877-1971. url p. 103, p. 169, p. 189, p. 203, p. 205, p. 208, p. 210, p. 211, p. 213, p. 214, p. 223, p. 253, p. 353, p. 40, p. 73, p. 76, p. 78, p. 90.
Bulletin of the Essex Institute. Salem, Mass., Essex Institute. url p. 119, p. 34.
Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard College. 93 1943 Cambridge, Mass.: The Museum, 1863- url p. 184, p. 189, p. 229, p. 239, p. 257.
Bulletin of the Southern California Academy of Sciences Los Angeles, Calif.: The Academy, 1971- url p. 77.
Bulletin. Salem, Mass. url p. 34.
California fish and game. [San Francisco, etc.]: State of California, Resources Agency, Dept. of Fish and Game. url p. 118, p. 160.
Carnegie Institution of Washington publication. Washington, Carnegie Institution of Washington, 1902- url p. 42, p. 44, p. 48, p. 50, p. 57, p. 61, p. 71, p. 77.
Catalogue of North American reptiles in the Museum of the Smithsonian institution: Part I.--Serpents / by S. F. Baird and C. Girard. Washington, Smithsonian Institution, 1853. url p. 156, p. 6, p. 7, p. 8, p. 9.
College zoology, New York, The Macmillan company, 1912 url p. 568.
College zoology, by Robert W. Hegner. New York, The Macmillan company, 1912. url p. 568.
College zoology. New YorkMacmillan1918 url p. 568.
Contributions from the Botanical Laboratory and the Morris Arboretum of the University of Pennsylvania. Philadelphia: [s.n., url , , , , , .
Contributions to Texan herpetology. Waco, Tex., 1909. url , .
Courtship and mating behavior in snakes, by D. Dwight Davis. 20 1936 url p. 267, p. 268.
Development and growth of the rattle of rattlesnakes [by] Arnold A. Zimmermann and Clifford H. Pope. 32 1948 [Chicago]1948. url fig. 57 , fig. 60 a-c , fig 64 a-b , fig. 65 , fig. 66 , fig. 67 , fig. 68 , fig. 81 , p. 360, p. 362, p. 367, p. 370, p. 374, p. 377, p. 378, p. 379, p. 380, p. 381, p. 404, p. 408, p. 413.
Exploration of the Red River of Louisiana, in the year 1852 / by Randolph B. Marcy, Captain Fifth Infantry U.S. Army; assisted by George B. McClellan, Brevet Captain U.S. Engineers; with reports on the natural history of the country and numerous illustrations. Washington: A.O.P. Nicholson, Public Printer, 1854. url p. 189.
Exploration of the Red river of Louisiana, in the year 1852; by Randolph B. Marcy, captain Fifth infantry U.S. Army; assisted by George B. McClellan, brevet captain U.S. engineers. With reports on the natural history of the country and numerous illustrations. Washington: A.O.P. Nicholson, 1854. url p. 189.
Handbook for rangers & woodsmen, New York, John Wiley & sons, inc.; [etc., etc.]1917. url p. 316.
Handbook for rangers and woodsmen / by Jay L. B. Taylor. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., c1916. url p. 316.
Handbook of amphibians and reptiles of Kansas. 1950 Lawrence, 1950 url p. 205, fig. 219, page 300, fig. 220, page 301, p. 5.
Illustrated catalogue of the Museum of Comparative Zoölogy, at Harvard College / published by order of the Legislature of Massachusetts. Cambridge: Museum of Comparative Zoology, 1865-1875. url p. 113.
Immuno-catalysis and related fields of bacteriology and biochemistry. With a pref. by Stuart Mudd. Springfield, Ill., Thomas[1951] url p. 312.
Journal of entomology and zoology. Claremont, Calif., U.S.A.: Pomona College Dept. of Zoology, [1913- url p. 66.
Journal of mammalogy. Baltimore, Md.: American Society of Mammalogists url p. 116.
Journal of the Royal Microscopical Society. Oxford [etc.]Royal Microscopical Society. url p. 144.
Life; a book for elementary students, by Sir Arthur E. Shipley. Cambridge [Eng.]University Press, 1923. url p. 70.
Maintenance of rattlesnakes in captivity / by James B. Murphy and Barry L. Armstrong. Lawrence: University of Kansas, 1978. url p. 1, p. 10, p. 11, p. 14, p. 15, p. 17, p. 2, p. 21, p. 22, p. 23.
Memoirs of the Museum of Comparative Zoölogy, at Harvard College, Cambridge, Mass. 8 1883 Cambridge [Mass.]: The Museum, 1876-1940. url p. 113.
Miscellaneous publication - University of Kansas, Museum of Natural History. 1970 Lawrence: University of Kansas, 1946-1996. url p. 194, figs. 155-156, page 213, p. 244, p. 313, fig. 241, page 314, p. 5.
Name that animal; a guide to the identification of the common land and fresh-water animals of the United States, with special reference to the area east of the Rockies. With drawings by Olive Driver. Northampton? Mass., 1950 url p. 396.
Natural history. New York: American Museum of Natural History. url p. 170, p. 193.
Natural science. London: Macmillan & Co., [1892-1899] url p. 272.
Natural science: a monthly review of scientific progress. London [etc.]: Macmillan and Company [etc.], [1892-1899] url p. 272.
Naturalist's guide to the Americas, prepared by the Committee on the Preservation of Natural Conditions of the Ecological Society of America, with assistance from numerous organizations and individuals, assembled and edited by chairman, Baltimore, Williams & Wilkins, 1926. url p. 564, p. 564.
Nature. London, etc., Macmillan Journals Ltd., etc. url p. 15.
New North American fleas. 29 1944 Chicago, 1944 url p. 222.
North American fauna. Washington: Fish and Wildlife Service; for sale by the Supt. of Docs., U. S. Govt. Print. Off. url p. 20, p. 218, p. 49, p. 87.
Occasional papers - San Diego Society of Natural History. 1937 San Diego, The Society. url p. 3, p. 5.
Occasional papers of the California Academy of Sciences. San Francisco: California Academy of Sciences, url p. 13, p. 2, p. 31, p. 33, p. 35, p. 36, p. 5, p. 909, p. 914, p. 915, p. 917, p. 919, p. 920, p. 925, p. 937.
Occasional papers of the Museum of Natural History, the University of Kansas. 1993 Lawrence, Kan.: The University, 1971-1994. url p. 1, fig. 7, page 14, fig. 8, page 15, fig. 9, page 18, fig. 10, page 19, p. 21, p. 22, p. 24, fig. 4, page 9.
Opinions and declarations rendered by the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature. London, Printed by order of the International Trust for Zoological Nomenclature. url , p. 215, p. 217, p. 218, p. 219, p. 220, p. 221, p. 222, p. 223, p. 224, p. 225, p. 226, p. 237, p. 238, p. 239, p. 240, p. 241, p. 444, p. 461.
Phyletic analysis of fifty characters of advanced snakes [by] Hymen Marx and George B. Rabb. 63 1972 [Chicago, Field Museum of Natural History]1972. url table 37 , p. 242, p. 300, p. 300, p. 74.
Population structure and biomass of some common snakes in Central North America / by Henry S. Fitch. 2000 Lawrence, Kan.: Natural History Museum, University of Kansas, [2000] url p. 3, figs. 3-4, page 5, p. 7.
Proceedings - California Academy of Sciences, 4th series. San Francisco, California Academy of Sciences. url , p. 29, p. 394, p. 398, p. 426, p. 427, p. 448, p. 458, p. 48.
Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia. Philadelphia, Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia url p. 103, p. 103, p. 337, p. 337, p. 625, p. 625.
Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington. Washington, Biological Society of Washington url p. 48, p. 51, p. 78.
Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences. San Francisco: California Academy of Sciences, 1979- url p. 48, p. 49.
Proceedings of the Royal Zoological Society of New South Wales. Mosman, New South Wales [etc.]The Society. url p. 29.
Proceedings of the United States National Museum. Washington: Smithsonian Institution Press, [etc.] url p. 146, p. 158, p. 250, p. 254, p. 311, p. 316, p. 317, p. 319, p. 320, p. 412, p. 617, p. 683, p. 690, p. 977.
Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London. London: Academic Press, [etc.], 1833-1965. url , , p. 114, p. 129, p. 189, p. 585, p. 739.
Proceedings. Salem, Mass.(1856-70) url p. 119.
Protozoology. New York, Prentice-Hall, 1953. url p. 485.
Publication. Field Columbian Museum. Chicago, U.S.A.: The Museum, 1895-1909. url p. 18.
Report of the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution and financial report of the Executive Committee of the Board of Regents for the year ending June 30. .. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution, 1933-1965. url p. 113, p. 114, p. 126, p. 132, p. 136, p. 140, p. 144, p. 157, p. 157, p. 158, p. 161, p. 163, p. 163, p. 175, p. 89, p. 93.
Report on the progress and condition of the United States National Museum. Washington: U.S. Govt. Print. Off., 1907-1951. url p. 209.
Report upon United States Geographical Surveys West of the One Hundredth Meridian / Washington [D.C.]: G.P.O., 1875-1889. url p. 529, p. 607.
Report. New York url p. 136, p. 137, p. 76.
Reports of explorations and surveys, to ascertain the most practicable and economical route for a railroad from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean. Made under the direction of the secretary of war, in 1853-[6]. .. Washington, A.O.P. Nicholson, Printer [etc.]1855-60. url , , p. 39, p. 40, p. 40.
Reptiles and amphibians of Texas. Waco, Tex., Baylor University Press, 1915. url , , p. 44, p. 45, p. 60, p. 63.
Reptiles and batrachians / by E.G. Boulenger. London: Dent; [1914]. url .
Reptiles and batrachians, by E. G. Boulenger, with numerous illustrations. London, J. M. Dent & sons, ltd.:[1914] url , , .
Reptiles of the world: tortoises and turtles, crocodilians, lizards and snakes of the eastern and western hemispheres / by Raymond L. Ditmars. New York: Macmillan Co., 1922 [c1910] url , .
Researches upon the venom of the rattlesnake: with an investigation of the anatomy and physiology of the organs concerned / By S. Weir Mitchell. Washington: Smithsonian Institution, 1860 url p. 121.
Researches upon the venoms of poisonous serpents / by S. Weir Mitchell and Edward T. Reichert. Washington: Published by the Smithsonian Institution, 1896. url p. 8.
Sexual size differences in reptiles / by Henry S. Fitch. 1981 Lawrence: University of Kansas, 1981. url p. 30, p. 56.
Smithsonian contributions to knowledge. Washington: Smithsonian Institution, 1848-1916. url p. 121, p. 8.
Smithsonian herpetological information service. Washington: Division of Reptiles and Amphibians, U.S. National Museum. url p. 11, p. 12, p. 13, p. 13, p. 14, p. 16, p. 17, p. 18, p. 18, p. 2, p. 20, p. 25, p. 28, p. 28, p. 28, p. 28, p. 3, p. 30, p. 32, p. 33, p. 39, p. 4, p. 42, p. 44, p. 47, p. 6, p. 6, p. 8.
Smithsonian miscellaneous collections. 2 1862 Washington: Smithsonian Institution, 1862-1968. url p. 156, p. 40, p. 8, p. 9.
Smithsonian year. 1965 Washington: Smithsonian Institution, 1965-1976. url p. 190.
Snake venoms, an investigation of venomous snakes with special reference to the phenomena of their venoms, Washington, D. C., Carnegie institution of Washington, 1909. url , , , .
Snake venoms; an investigation of venomous snakes with special reference to the phenomena of their venoms. Washington, Carnegie Inst., 1909. url p. 42, p. 44, p. 71, p. 77.
The American Museum journal. New York: American Museum of Natural History, c1900-[1918] url p. 193, p. 196.
The American natural history: a foundation of useful knowledge of the higher animals of North America / New York: C. Scribner, 1906, c1904. url .
The American natural history; a foundation of useful knowledge of the higher animals of North America, New York, C. Scribner's Sons, 1914. url .
The Annals and magazine of natural history; zoology, botany, and geology being a continuation of the Annals combined with Loudon and Charlesworth's Magazine of Natural History. London, Taylor and Francis, Ltd. url p. 179, p. 179.
The Biological bulletin. Woods Hole, Mass.: Marine Biological Laboratory, url , , p. 124, p. 128, p. 416, p. 418, p. 42, p. 64, p. 65, p. 66, p. 79.
The Bulletin of zoological nomenclature. London, International Trust for Zoological Nomenclature. url , , , p. 156, p. 231, p. 234, p. 235, p. 25, p. 256, p. 26, p. 28, p. 360, p. 373, p. 392.
The Canadian field-naturalist. 44 1930 Ottawa, Ottawa Field-Naturalists' Club. url fig. 1 , williamson , p. 203, p. 220.
The Great Basin naturalist. 30 1970 Provo, Utah: M.L. Bean Life Science Museum, Brigham Young University, 1939-1999. url , misc., page 107, p. 12, p. 251, fig. 1, page 3, p. 664, p. 674.
The University of Colorado studies. Boulder, University of Colorado. url p. 107, p. 108, p. 122.
The University of Kansas science bulletin. 35 1953 [Lawrence]: University of Kansas, 1902-1996. url p. 1589, p. 1612, p. 170, p. 361, p. 370, fig. 1, page 796, p. 815.
The amphibia and reptilia of Colorado / Max M. Ellis and Junius Henderson. Boulder: University of Colorado, 1913. url p. 107, p. 108, p. 122.
The biogeography of the herpetofauna of the subhumid forests of Middle America: (Isthmus of Tehuantepec to northwestern Costa Rica) / Toronto: Royal Ontario Museum, c1998. url p. 3.
The days of a man, being memories of a naturalist, teacher and minor prophet of democracy. Yonkers-on-Hudson, N.Y.World book company1922 url p. 636.
The days of a man: being memories of a naturalist, teacher, and minor prophet of democracy / by David Starr Jordan Yonkers-on-Hudson, N.Y.: World Book Co., 1922 url p. 636, p. 740.
The natural history of Mexican rattlesnakes / by Barry L. Armstrong and James B. Murphy. Lawrence: University of Kansas, 1979. url p. 4, p. 71, p. 73, p. 74, p. 77, p. 81, p. 82, p. 84, p. vii.
The naturalist in California / by J.G. Cooper. Salem, Mass.: Peabody Academy of Science, 1869 url p. 475.
The newer knowledge of bacteriology and immunology, by eighty-two contributors; edited by Edwin O. Jordan and I.S. Falk. Chicago, The University of Chicago Press[1928] url p. 1070, p. 1071.
The poisonous snakes of North America / by Leonhard Stejneger. Washington: Government Printing Office, 1895. url , p. 436, p. 439, p. 441.
The reptile book, a comprehensive popularised work on the structure and habits of the turtles, tortoises, corcodilians, lizards and snakes which inhabit the United States and Northern Mexico. New York, Doubleday, 1920. url , , , , , , p. 448, p.
The reptile book; a comprehensive popularised work on the structure and habits of the turtles, tortoises, crocodilians, lizards and snakes which inhabit the United States and northern Mexico. New York, Doubleday, Page, 1915. url , p. 410, p. 428, p. 448, p. 454, p. 455, p. 464.
The reptile book; a comprehensive, popularised work on the structure and habits of the turtles, tortoises, crocodilians, lizards and snakes which inhabit the United States and northern Mexico, by Raymond Lee Ditmars. .. eight plates in colour and more than four hundred photographs from life. New York: Doubleday, Page & Company, 1908 [c1907] url , , , p. 410, p. 428, p. 448, p. 452, p. 454, p. 455, p. 464.
The reptiles of western North America, an account of the species known to inhabit California and Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Utah, Nevada, Arizona, British Columbia, Sonora and Lower California, by John Van Denburgh, with one hundred and twenty-eight plates. San Francisco, California Academy of Sciences, 1922. url p. 31, p. 33, p. 909, p. 914, p. 915, p. 917, p. 919, p. 920, p. 925, p. 937.
The viperid snake Azemiops: its comparative cephalic anatomy and phylogenetic position in relation to Viperinae and Crotalinae [by] Karel F. Liem, Hymen Marx, and George B. Rabb. 59 1971 [Chicago]Field Museum of Natural History, 1971. url fig. 14 , p. 107, p. 109.
Tooth replacement phenomena in the lower vertebrates / [Toronto]: Royal Ontario Museum, c1960. url p. 102, p. 96.
Torrey, J. Report on the United States and Mexican boundary survey: made under the direction of the secretary of the Interior /by William H. Emory, major First Cavalry, and United States commissioner. 2(2) 1859 Washington: C. Wendell, printer, 1857-59. url p. 14.
Transactions of the San Diego Society of Natural History. 11 1949 [San Diego]: The Society, 1905-1989. url p. 105, p. 109, fig. 10, page 12, p. 120, p. 131, p. 134, p. 137, p. 146, p. 147, p. 190, p. 194, p. 195, fig. 3, page 197, p. 199, p. 200, p. 203, p. 206, fig. 35, page 241, p. 251, p. 260, p. 264, fig. 24, page 35, p. 355, p. 36, p. 375, p. 39, p. 41, p. 42, p. 447, p. 57, p. 59, p. 77, p. 77, p. 80, p. 89, p. 90, p. 92, p. 97.
Tulane studies in zoology and botany. 18 New Orleans: Tulane University, [1968- url , fig. 1, page 160, p. 171.
United States exploring expedition. During the year 1838, 1839, 1840, 1841, 1842. Under the command of Charles Wilkes, U.S.N... Philadelphia: Printed by C. Sherman, 1844-74. url p. 189.
University of California publications in zoology. Berkeley: University Press, 1906- url p. 196, p. 197, p. 540.
University of Kansas publications, Museum of Natural History. 13 1960 Lawrence, University of Kansas. url fig. 11, page 112, p. 213, p. 490, p. 63, p. 718.
Variation in clutch and litter size in New World reptiles / by Henry S. Fitch. 1985 Lawrence: University of Kansas, 1985. url p. 34, p. 68, p. 73.
Vertebrate ecology and systematics: a tribute to Henry S. Fitch / edited by Richard A. Seigel. .. [et al.]. Lawrence: University of Kansas, 1984. url p. 159, p. 197, p. 199, p. 74.
Voyage of the 'Albatross' to the Gulf of California in 1911. New York, 1916. url p. 426, p. 698, p. 699, p. 702.
Zoology / by Clarence J. Goodnight and Marie L. Goodnight. St. Louis: C. V. Mosby Co., 1954. url p. 609.
Zoology, a textbook for college and university students, by F. E. Chidester. New York, D. Van Nostrand, 1932. url p. 328.
Zoology: an elementary text-book. Cambridge: Univ. Press, 1920. url , , .

Notes

[ Back to top ]

Contributors

Brands, S.J. (comp.) 1989-present. The Taxonomicon. Universal Taxonomic Services, Zwaag, The Netherlands. Accessed February 5, 2012.
Clark, M. A. WhoZoo.
Frost, D.R., Hammerson, G.A. & Santos-Barrera, G. 2007. Crotalus atrox. In: IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloadedon 31January2012.
Frost, D.R., Hammerson, G.A. and Santos-Barrera, G. 2007. In IUCN 2008. 2008 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCNRedList.org. Downloaded July 19, 2008.
Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Accessed February 27, 2008. http://www.gbif.org Mediated distribution data from 9 providers.
IUCN 2012. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. . Downloaded on January 28, 2012.
Nafis, Gary. California Reptiles and Amphibians. Accessed June 23, 2009.
Ruggiero M., Gordon D., Bailly N., Kirk P., Nicolson D. (2011). The Catalogue of Life Taxonomic Classification, Edition 2, Part A. In: Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life: 2011 Annual Checklist (Bisby F.A., Roskov Y.R., Orrell T.M., Nicolson D., Paglinawan L.E., Bailly N., Kirk P.M., Bourgoin T., Baillargeon G., Ouvrard D., eds). DVD; Species 2000: Reading, UK.
TIGR Reptile Database . Release date: October 2, 2007
Uetz, Peter. The Reptile Database

Data Sources

Accessed through GBIF Data Portal February 27, 2008:

Arizona State University, International Institute for Species Exploration: Arizona State University Amphibian and Reptile Collection
Borror Laboratory of Bioacoustics
California Academy of Sciences: CAS Herpetology Collection Catalog
Carnegie Museums: Amphibians and Reptiles
Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History: Vertebrate specimens
Museum of Southwestern Biology, Division of Amphibians and Reptiles: Museum of Southwestern Biology, Division of Amphibians and Reptiles database
Museum of Vertebrate Zoology: Terrestrial vertebrate specimens
Sternberg Museum of Natural History: Herp Collection
Yale University Peabody Museum: Peabody Herp Collection DiGIR provider Service

Identifiers

Biodiversity Heritage Library NamebankID: 2538209
Catalogue of Life Accepted Name Code: Rep-1903
Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) Taxonomic Serial Number (TSN): 174310
IUCN ID: 203021
Natural Heritage Network Species Identifier: ARADE02020
Zipcode Zoo Species Identifier: 18096

Footnotes

Nafis, Gary. California Reptiles and Amphibians [back]
Frost, D.R., Hammerson, G.A. & Santos-Barrera, G. 2007. Crotalus atrox. In: IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 31 January 2012. [back]

Crotalus atrox

Overview

Interesting Facts

Common Names

Description

Physical Description

Species Crotalus atrox

Size/Age/Growth

Habitat

Biology

Diet

Reproduction

Behavior

Taxonomy

Synonyms

Notes

Similar Species

Members of the genus Crotalus

More Info

Further Reading

Notes

Contributors

Data Sources

Identifiers

Footnotes