Western Rattlesnake

At a glance

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

Confirmed by 32,633 research-grade iNaturalist observations, with California, Utah, and Oregon the top jurisdictions by observation count.

Notable details

• Western rattlesnakes range from British Columbia south through California into Baja California.
• They typically reach 3–4 feet in length and hunt mainly small mammals.
• They hibernate communally in rocky dens called hibernacula through winter months.
• Like all pit vipers, they detect body heat from prey using facial pit organs.
• They give birth to live young rather than laying eggs.

Where Western Rattlesnake are seen

• California26,234 iNat obs
• Utah2,401 iNat obs
• Oregon1,027 iNat obs
• Washington820 iNat obs
• Idaho680 iNat obs
• British Columbia595 iNat obs

Jurisdictions with rules for Western Rattlesnake

• CaliforniaUnited States · official source

Background

Crotalus oreganus is a venomous pit viper species found in North America in the western United States, parts of British Columbia, and northwestern Mexico. Seven subspecies are currently recognized, including the nominate subspecies described here.

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

Other reptiles on CatchRules

• Pond SliderTrachemys scripta
• Western Fence LizardSceloporus occidentalis
• Painted TurtleChrysemys picta
• North American RacerColuber constrictor