Range in California: Orange
Click the map for a guide
to the other subspecies.
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Venomous and Potentially Dangerous!
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Adult, from the eastern border of Siskiyou county |
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| Adult, Mono County © Michael Clarkson. Specimen courtesy of Jeff Mintz |
Adult, Mono County © Michael Clarkson. Specimen courtesy of Jeff Mintz |
Juvenile, Mono County © Michael Clarkson. Specimen courtesy of Jeff Mintz |
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Adult, Mono County
© Chris Morrison |
Adult, Mono County
© David Tobler |
Adult, 8,000 ft., Mono County
© Chris Lima |
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Adult, Washoe County, Nevada |
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Den site in Washoe County, Nevada, where snakes have been seen for at least 20 years.
© Tom Green - TomGreenPhotography.com |
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Juvenile, Washoe County, Nevada
© Don Johnson |
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Crotalus oreganus oreganus near its southern range limit is variable in appearance, often looking very much like C. o. lutosus. An example is the Kern County snake seen in the row above. Identification of rattlesnakes found in this region can be confusing and open to debate. Some of these controversies should be resolved when the results of further studies on these species are published.
According to Robert Hansen who has studied the area in depth: "Among populations of " oreganus" inhabiting arid landscapes near their southern range limits (e.g., southern San Joaquin Valley, Carrizo Plain), there is a tendency toward small size, light ground color, and reduced dorsal blotch size...features that cause these snakes to superficially resemble lutosus."..."The southern extent of the range of lutosus in eastern California (e.g., the Mono/Inyo counties region) has been mapped in reasonable detail, and thus far, there are no known instances where the ranges of oreganus and lutosus come into contact.
However, farther north, where the Sierra Nevada crest is much lower and the potential for populations of oreganus and lutosus to meet is likely greater, careful field studies are lacking. Ultimately, reliance on features of coloration and pattern to distinguish one form from the other in areas of potential contact is not advised." |
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Click on the play button or the speaker to hear a Great Basin Rattlesnake rattling.
© Jeff Rice
(Listen to more recordings of this snake at the Western Soundscape Archive)
Not to be used without permission.
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California rest stop warning sign.
Click the picture to see more
rattlesnake signs. |
Tail |
| Habitat |
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Habitat, 4,400 ft. Siskiyou county |
Habitat, 4,300 ft. Siskiyou county |
Habitat, Surprise Valley, Modoc County |
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Habitat, Mono County
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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.
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Description |
| Venomous |
| The venom of this snake is potentially dangerous to humans. |
| Size |
| Adults of this species range from 15 - 65 inches long, ( 38 - 165 cm) but typically the adults seen are 3 - 4 feet long. Newborns are around 10 inches long. |
| Appearance |
A heavy-bodied, venomous pit viper, with a thin neck and a large triangular head. Pupils are elliptical. Scales are keeled. Two light stripes extend diagonally across the sides of the head, but they are sometimes faded and not evident.
The ground color is variable, matching the environment - pale grey, tan, light yellow, buff colored. The back is marked with dark blotches with light centers, usually in the shape of bars or ovals, about as wide as the spaces between them. The underside is pale, sometimes weakly mottled.
The tail is barred, and without white rings. A rattle, consisting of loose interlocking segments, usually occurs at the end of the tail. 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.
Heat sensing pits on the sides of the head 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 prey. The snake can control the amount of venom injected and the fangs are replaced if broken. Bites on humans are potentially dangerous without immediate medical treatment. Even a dead snake can bite and inject venom if the jaws reflexively open when they are touched. |
| Behavior |
Primarily nocturnal and crepuscular during periods of excessive daytime heat, but also active during daylight when the temperature is more moderate. Not active during cooler periods in Winter.
Prey is found while the snake is actively moving, or by ambush, where the snake waits near lizard or rodent trails, striking at and releasing passing 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. Juveniles are born with only a silent button at the end of the tail. |
| Diet |
| Eats small mammals, including ground squirrels, mice, rats, rabbits and hares, birds, lizards, snakes, frogs, and insects. |
| Reproduction |
| Bears live young. |
| Range |
| Found in California in the far northeastern corner and in a small region east of the Sierras near the Mono Lake area. Ranges north into eastern Oregon, and east to western Utah, southern Idaho, most of Nevada, and barely into northwest Arizona. |
| Habitat |
| Inhabits rocky hillsides, barren flats, sagebrush, grassy plains, and agricultural areas. |
| Taxonomic Notes |
The taxonomy of Western Rattlesnakes is controversial and still being studied.
Some researchers still use the species Crotalus viridis and this snake remains Crotalus viridis lutosus .
In a 2002 study, Douglas, Douglas, Schuett, Porras, & Holycross
[[2002. Phylogeography of the Western Rattlesnake (Crotalus viridis) Complex, With Emphasis on the Colorado Plateau]. Pp. 11-50. In Biology of the Vipers [Schuett, Höggren, Douglas, and Greene (editors). Eagle Mountain Publishing, Eagle Mountain, Utah]
split C.viridis into 7 distinct species:
Crotalus oreganus oreganus becomes Crotalus oreganus,
Crotalus oreganus helleri becomes Crotalus helleri, and
Crotalus oreganus lutosus becomes Crotalus lutosus.
The common names remain the same.
This taxonomy was accepted by a snake systematist group in 2009 and is already in use by the CNAH. The SSAR will most likely use this taxonomy in its next list. |
| Conservation Issues (Conservation Status) |
| None. |
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Taxonomy |
| Family |
Viperidae |
Vipers |
| Genus |
Crotalus |
Rattlesnakes |
| Species |
oreganus |
Western Rattlesnake |
Subspecies
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lutosus |
Great Basin Rattlesnake |
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Original Description |
Crotalus viridis - Rafinesque, 1818 - Amer. Month. Mag. Crit. Rev., Vol. 4, No. 1, Nov. p. 41
Crotalus viridis lutosus - Klauber, 1930 - Trans. San Diego Soc. Nat. Hist., Vol. 6, No. 3, p. 100
from Original Description Citations for the Reptiles and Amphibians of North America © Ellin Beltz
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Meaning of the Scientific Name |
Crotalus - Greek - krotalon - a rattle - refers to the rattle on the tail
oreganus - belonging to the state of Oregon - referring to the type locality, "banks of Oregon or Columbia River"
lutosus - Latin - muddy, full of mud - referring to the brownish dorsal color
from Scientific and Common Names of the Reptiles and Amphibians of North America - Explained © Ellin Beltz
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Alternate Names |
Crotalus viridis lutosus
Crotalus lutosus
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Related or Similar California Snakes |
C. o. helleri - Southern Pacific Rattlesnake
C. o. oreganus - Northern Pacific Rattlesnake
C. atrox - Western Diamond-backed Rattlesnake
C. s. scutulatus - Northern Mohave Rattlesnake
C. m. stephensi - Panamint Rattlesnake
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More Information and References |
Natureserve Explorer
California Dept. of Fish and Game
Living With Rattlesnakes
Tucson Herpetological Society: Living With Venomous Reptiles pdf
California Department of Fish and Game: Rattlesnakes in California
University of California: Rattlesnakes Management Guide
Rattlesnake Bites
California Poison Control System:
Rattlesnake Bites
University of Arizona:
Rattlesnakes
Justin Schwartz' Rattlesnake Bite Story and Pictures
Sean Bush MD: Venom ER - When snakes strike!
Stebbins, Robert C. A Field Guide to Western Reptiles and Amphibians. 3rd Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, 2003.
Behler, John L., & F. Wayne King. The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Reptiles and Amphibians. Alfred A. Knopf, 1992.
Bartlett, R. D. & Patricia P. Bartlett. Guide and Reference to the Snakes of Western North America (North of Mexico) and Hawaii. University Press of Florida, 2009.
Bartlett, R.D. , & Alan Tennant. Snakes of North America - Western Region. Gulf Publishing Co., 2000.
Brown, Philip R. A Field Guide to Snakes of California. Gulf Publishing Co., 1997.
Ernst, Carl H., Evelyn M. Ernst, & Robert M. Corker. Snakes of the United States and Canada. Smithsonian Institution Press, 2003.
Wright, Albert Hazen & Anna Allen Wright. Handbook of Snakes of the United States and Canada. Cornell University Press.
Brown, Philip R. A Field Guide to Snakes of California. Gulf Publishing Co., 1997.
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The following status listings come from the Special Animals List which is published several times each year by the California Department of Fish and Game.
This snake is not included on the Special Animals List, which indicates that there are no significant conservation concerns for it in California.
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Organization
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Status Listing
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| U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA) |
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| California Endangered Species Act (CESA) |
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| California Department of Fish and Game |
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| Bureau of Land Management |
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| USDA Forest Service |
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| Natureserve Global Conservation Status Ranks |
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World Conservation Union - IUCN Red List
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