Speckled Rattlesnake

At a glance

Speckled Rattlesnake (Crotalus pyrrhus) is an IUCN Least Concern reptile with specific harvest rules tracked in 1 of 66 jurisdictions covered by CatchRules.

Confirmed by 3,640 research-grade iNaturalist observations, with California, Arizona, and Nevada the top jurisdictions by observation count.

Notable details

• Its coloration is remarkably variable—individuals can be pink, white, gray, or tan to match local rock.
• It inhabits rocky slopes and outcrops across the Mojave and Sonoran deserts of the southwestern U.S.
• In summer it is largely nocturnal, sheltering under rocks during the hottest parts of the day.
• A new rattle segment is added with each shed of skin, occurring several times a year in young snakes.
• It ambushes prey—mainly small mammals and lizards—from a coiled, camouflaged position.

Where Speckled Rattlesnake are seen

• California2,783 iNat obs
• Arizona673 iNat obs
• Nevada146 iNat obs
• Utah38 iNat obs

Background

Crotalus mitchellii pyrrhus is a venomous pitviper subspecies found in the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico. A medium-sized snake, it is found mostly in rocky country, active at night and feeding on small mammals. The coloration is variable and depends on the color of the rocks and soil of the habitat.

Background excerpt adapted from Wikipedia's Speckled Rattlesnake article (CC BY-SA). Visit Wikipedia for the full entry.

Other reptiles on CatchRules

• Pond SliderTrachemys scripta
• Painted TurtleChrysemys picta
• North American RacerColuber constrictor
• Ring-Necked SnakeDiadophis punctatus