REPTILIA: SQUAMATA: VIPERIDAE: Crotalus

Crotalus viridis Author and date

Prairie rattlesnake / Pacific rattlesnake

Photo & author credits

Range: Wide ranging along the Pacific coast from central British Columbia south into Baja California, and west to Missouri and central Texas.

Diagnosis:

Description:

Natural History: Venomous, and human fatalities have been recorded. This is perhaps the most widely distributed and common rattlesnake, and it is generally more aggressive than other species.

Reproduction:

Taxonomy & Relationships:

Variation: Several subspecies have been described, reflected in the many regional common names such as Pacific rattlesnake, Oregon rattlesnake, prairie rattlesnake, and others.

Additional Comments:

Type Specimen:

Literature:

Campbell, Jonathan and William Lamar. 2004. The venomous reptiles of Western Hemisphere. Two volumes. Comstock Cornell University Press.