The western diamondback rattlesnake[3] or Texas diamond-back[4] (Crotalus atrox) is a rattlesnakespecies and member of the viper family, found in the southwestern United States and Mexico. Like all other rattlesnakes and all other vipers, it is venomous. It is likely responsible for the majority of snakebite fatalities in northern Mexico and the greatest number of snakebites in the U.S.[5] No subspecies are currently recognized.[3]
It lives in elevations from below sea level up to 6,500 feet (2,000m). This species ranges throughout the Southwestern United States and northern half of Mexico. Currently, western diamondback rattlesnakes are not threatened or endangered.
Common names
Other common names for this species include western diamond-backed rattlesnake,[3] adobe snake, Arizona diamond rattlesnake, coon tail, desert diamond-back, desert diamond rattlesnake, fierce rattlesnake, spitting rattlesnake, buzz tail, Texan rattlesnake, Texas diamond-back, and Texas rattler.
Description
The button rattle of a juvenileCloseup of the head at the Zoological Garden, Ulm, Germany
Adults commonly grow to 120cm (4ft) in length. Specimens over 150cm (5ft) are infrequently encountered, while those over 180cm (6ft) are very rare, and the largest reported length considered to be reliable is 213cm (7ft).[6] Males become much larger than females, although this difference in size does not occur until after they have reached sexual maturity.[5] Rattlesnakes of this species considered medium-sized weigh up to 1.23 to 2.7kg (3 to 6lb), while very large specimens can reportedly weigh up to 6.7kg (15lb).[7][8][9] Overall, it is likely the second largest-bodied species of rattlesnake, behind only its close cousin the eastern diamondback rattlesnake. It is also the second largest of North American venomous snakes (the bushmasters, which attain similar weights and greater total length, occur up as far as Nicaragua).[10][11][12]
The color pattern generally consists of a khaki ground color, but it may also be pinkish or fallow, brick red, yellowish blonde, or white. This ground color is overlaid dorsally with a series of 23-45 (mean, 36) dorsal body blotches that are brown or a darker umber.[13] The first of these may be a pair of short stripes that extend backwards to eventually merge. Some of the first few blotches on the back may be somewhat rectangular, but then become more hexagonal and eventually take on the distinctive diamond shape. The clarity of these markings is often blurred by small specks. The tail has two to eight (usually four to six) black bands separated by white or gray interspaces; this led to the nickname of "coontail", though other species (e.g., Mojave rattlesnake) have similarly banded tails. Its postocular stripe is gray or umber and extends diagonally from the lower edge of the eye across the side of the head. This stripe is usually bordered below by a white stripe running from the upper preocular scale down to the supralabial scales just below and behind the eye.[14]
The wide range of this species overlaps, or is close to, that of many others. It may be confused with them, but differences exist. The Mojave rattlesnake (C.scutulatus), also has tail rings, but the black rings are narrow relative to the pale ones. The timber rattlesnake (C.horridus), has no tail rings. In the western rattlesnake (C.oreganus), the pale tail rings are the same color as the ground. The tail of the black-tailed rattlesnake (C.molossus), is a uniform black, or has indistinct tail rings. The Mexican west coast rattlesnake (C.basiliscus), also has a mostly dark tail with obscure or absent rings. The tiger rattlesnake, (C.tigris), has a relatively small head and large rattle along with a dorsal pattern consisting more of crossbands. The Middle American rattlesnake (C.simus), has a generally uniform gray tail without any rings, as well as a pair of distinctive paravertebral stripes running down the neck. Members of the genus Sistrurus lack tail rings and have enlarged head plates.[5]
In the United States, it occurs in central and western Arkansas, Oklahoma excluding the northeast, north-central region and the panhandle, Texas excluding the northern panhandle and the east, southern and central New Mexico and Arizona, extreme southern Nevada, southwestern Utah, and in southeastern California on either side of the Chocolate Mountains. Records from extreme southern Kansas (Cowley and Sumner Counties) may be based on a natural occurrence of the species, while multiple records from near Kanopolis Reservoir in Ellsworth County seem to indicate a viable (although isolated) population.[5]
Its habitats range from flat coastal plains to steep rocky canyons and hillsides; it is associated with many different vegetation types, including desert, sandy creosote areas, mesquite grassland, desert scrub, and pine-oak forests. Frequently roaming during the day, it is common to see the western diamondback when ambient temperatures drop because of the heat retention of blacktop roads. [14]
Behavior
C. atrox, patternless specimen
C. atrox is solitary except during the mating season, when males of the species are single-minded and aggressive in pursuing females. Usually inactive between late October and early March, these ectotherms occasionally may be seen basking in the sun on warm winter days. In the winter, they hibernate or brumate in caves or burrows, sometimes with many other species of snakes. Active, alert, and large (most adults are between four and a half and five feet long), the western diamondback can administer a large amount of venom in its bite; it is not inclined to give ground when confronted. [14]
They are poor climbers. Natural predators include raptors such as hawks and eagles, roadrunners, wild hogs, and other snakes. When threatened, they usually coil and rattle to warn aggressors. They are one of the more defensive rattlesnake species in the US in the way that they stand their ground when confronted by a foe. If rattling does not work, then the snake will strike in defense.[15][citation needed]
Birds, lizards, amphibians, fish, invertebrates,[16] and mice are also preyed upon, with lizards mostly being eaten by young snakes. Avian prey include mockingbirds (Mimidae), quail, a nearly full-grown Gambel's quail, a burrowing owl (Athene cunicularia),[6] a fledgling horned lark (Eremophila alpestris) a black-throated sparrow (Amphispiza bilineata), and an eastern meadowlark (Sturnella magna).[5] Lizard prey include a whiptail lizard (Cnemidophorus), spiny lizards (Sceloporus), a Texas banded gecko (Coleonyx brevis),[6] and a side-blotched lizard (Uta palmeri). One case reported by Vorhies (1948) involved a juvenile specimen that had attempted to eat a horned lizard (Phrynosoma solare), but died after the lizard's horns had punctured its esophagus, leaving the lizard stuck there.[5]
Hermann (1950) reported C. atrox also feeds on lubber grasshoppers (Brachystola magna). Klauber (1972) once found a single specimen in which the stomach contents included grasshoppers, beetles, and ants. However, mammal hairs and an iguanid lizard were also found in the same stomach, which made it more likely that the insects had first been eaten by the mammal or the lizard before they had been eaten by the snake.[6]
They hunt (or ambush prey) at night or in the early morning.
These snakes can go for up to two years without food in the wild. A 5+1⁄2-month starvation study showed the snakes reduced energy expenditures by an average of 80% over the length of the study. The snakes also feed from within on energy-rich lipid stores. The most interesting finding was the snakes grew during the study, indicating while the snake's mass was shrinking, it was putting its resources into skeletal muscles and bone.[17]
A key participant in the food chain, it is an important predator of many small rodents, rabbits, and birds. In turn, it is preyed upon by a variety of larger mammals and birds, such as coyotes, foxes, hawks, and owls. Crotalus atrox can be active at any time of the day or night when conditions are favorable. It is primarily diurnal and crepuscular in spring and fall and becomes primarily nocturnal and crepuscular during the hot summer months.[18] It is also an intermediate host of an intestinal acanthocephalan parasitic worm, Pachysentis canicola.[19][20]
They are one of the few species of snakes that engage in scavenging behavior.[21]
Venom
C. atrox
Like most other American pit vipers, the venom contains proteolytic enzymes. Proteolytic venoms are concentrated secretions that destroy structural tissues and proteins via catabolism, which help in disabling prey. The venom of C. atrox is primarily hemotoxic, affecting mainly the blood vessels, blood cells and the heart. The venom contains hemorrhagic components called zinc metalloproteinases.[22][23] The venom also contains cytotoxins and myotoxins which destroy cells and muscles, adding to the damage to the cardiovascular system.[24] In addition to hemorrhage, venom metalloproteinases induce myonecrosis (skeletal muscle damage), which seems to be secondary to the ischemia that ensues in muscle tissue as a consequence of bleeding and reduced perfusion. Microvascular disruption by metalloproteinases also impairs skeletal muscle regeneration, being thereby responsible for fibrosis and permanent tissue loss.[25] General local effects include pain, heavy internal bleeding, severe swelling, severe muscle damage, bruising, blistering, and necrosis; systemic effects are variable and not specific, but may include headache, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, dizziness, and convulsions. Bleeding caused by hemorrhagins is a major clinical effect that can be fatal.[26]
This species has LD50 values of 2.72mg/kg intravenous, 20mg/kg intramuscular and 18.5mg/kg subcutaneous, which is far less toxic than many other rattlesnakes.[27][28] However, because of its large venom glands and specialized fangs, the western diamondback rattlesnake can deliver a large amount of venom in a single bite. The average venom yield per bite is usually between 250 and 350mg, with a maximum of 700–800mg.[5][29] Severe envenomation is rare but possible, and can be lethal. Mortality rate of untreated bites is between 10 and 20%.[26]
Rattlesnakes, including C. atrox, are viviparous. Gestation lasts six or seven months, and broods average about a dozen young. However, the young stay with the mother for only a few hours before they set off on their own to hunt and find cover, so that the mortality rate is very high. Mating occurs in the fall, and the females give birth to as many as 25 young, which may be as long as 30cm (12in). The young are fully capable of delivering a venomous bite from the moment they are born.
Conservation status
This species is classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List (v3.1, 2001).[1] Species are listed as such due to their wide distribution or presumed large population, or because they are unlikely to be declining fast enough to qualify for listing in a more threatened category. The population trend was stable when assessed in 2007.[30]
They are also heavily collected from the wild, frequently being drawn out of their hiding places with gasoline and used in rattlesnake roundups, where they are killed for food, skins and entertainment.
This Western diamondback rattlesnake may be the most common rattlesnake species found in homes and in direct conflict with human development in the American Southwest, particularly in the rapidly expanding metro areas of Phoenix and Tucson.[31] Relocation of animals is seen as a sometimes controversial management solution.[32]
Gallery
C. atrox, albino specimen
C. atrox, melanistic specimen
C. atrox
C. atrox
Related Research Articles
Rattlesnakes are venomous snakes that form the genera Crotalus and Sistrurus of the subfamily Crotalinae. All rattlesnakes are vipers. Rattlesnakes are predators that live in a wide array of habitats, hunting small animals such as birds and rodents.
A snakebite is an injury caused by the bite of a snake, especially a venomous snake. A common sign of a bite from a venomous snake is the presence of two puncture wounds from the animal's fangs. Sometimes venom injection from the bite may occur. This may result in redness, swelling, and severe pain at the area, which may take up to an hour to appear. Vomiting, blurred vision, tingling of the limbs, and sweating may result. Most bites are on the hands, arms, or legs. Fear following a bite is common with symptoms of a racing heart and feeling faint. The venom may cause bleeding, kidney failure, a severe allergic reaction, tissue death around the bite, or breathing problems. Bites may result in the loss of a limb or other chronic problems or even death.
Crotalus is a genus of pit vipers, commonly known as rattlesnakes or rattlers, in the family Viperidae. The genus is found only in the Americas from southern Canada to northern Argentina. The generic name Crotalus is derived from the Greek word κρόταλονkrótalοn, which means "rattle" or "castanet", and refers to the rattle on the end of the tail, which makes this group so distinctive. As of July 2023, 44 to 53 species are recognized as valid.
Snake venom is a highly toxic saliva containing zootoxins that facilitates in the immobilization and digestion of prey. This also provides defense against threats. Snake venom is usually injected by unique fangs during a bite, though some species are also able to spit venom.
Envenomation is the process by which venom is injected by the bite or sting of a venomous animal.
Crotalus scutulatus is known commonly as the Mohave Rattlesnake. Other common English names include Mojave Rattlesnake and, referring specifically to the nominate (northern) subspecies: Northern Mohave Rattlesnake and Mojave Green Rattlesnake, the latter name commonly shortened to the more colloquial “Mojave green”. Campbell and Lamar (2004) supported the English name “Mohave (Mojave) rattlesnake” with some reluctance because so little of the snake’s range lies within the Mojave Desert.
The eastern diamondback rattlesnake is a species of pit viper in the family Viperidae. The species is endemic to the Southeastern United States. It is one of the heaviest venomous snakes in the Americas and the largest rattlesnake. No subspecies are recognized.
The black-tailed rattlesnake is a venomous pit viper species found in the southwestern United States and Mexico. Four subspecies are currently recognized, including the nominate subspecies described here.
Crotalus helleri or Crotalus oreganus helleri, also known commonly as the Southern Pacific rattlesnake, the black diamond rattlesnake, and by several other common names, is a pit viper species or subspecies found in southwestern California and south into Baja California, Mexico, that is known for its regional variety of dangerous venom types. It is sometimes considered a subspecies of Crotalus oreganus.
Myotoxins are small, basic peptides found in snake venoms and lizard venoms. This involves a non-enzymatic mechanism that leads to severe muscle necrosis. These peptides act very quickly, causing instantaneous paralysis to prevent prey from escaping and eventually death due to diaphragmatic paralysis.
Crotalus ruber is a venomous pit viper species found in southwestern California in the United States and Baja California in Mexico. Three subspecies are currently recognized, including the nominate subspecies described here.
The tiger rattlesnake is a highly venomous pit viper species found in the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico. No subspecies are currently recognized. The specific name tigris,, refers to the many narrow dorsal crossbands, which create a pattern of vertical stripes when viewed from the side.
Crotalus concolor, commonly known as the midget faded rattlesnake, faded rattlesnake, and yellow rattlesnake, is a pit viper species found in the western United States. It is a small rattlesnake known for its faded color pattern. Like all other pit vipers, it is venomous.
Atrolysin A is an enzyme that is one of six hemorrhagic toxins found in the venom of western diamondback rattlesnake. This endopeptidase has a length of 419 amino acid residues. The metalloproteinase disintegrin-like domain and the cysteine-rich domain of the enzyme are responsible for the enzyme's hemorrhagic effects on organisms via inhibition of platelet aggregation.
Atrolysin B is an enzyme. This enzyme catalyses the following chemical reaction
Atrolysin C is an enzyme. This enzyme catalyses the following chemical reaction
Atrolysin E is an enzyme. This enzyme catalyses the following chemical reaction
Atrolysin F is an enzyme. This enzyme catalyses the following chemical reaction
Venom in snakes and some lizards is a form of saliva that has been modified into venom over its evolutionary history. In snakes, venom has evolved to kill or subdue prey, as well as to perform other diet-related functions. While snakes occasionally use their venom in self defense, this is not believed to have had a strong effect on venom evolution. The evolution of venom is thought to be responsible for the enormous expansion of snakes across the globe.
1 2 McDiarmid RW, Campbell JA, Touré T. (1999). Snake Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference, vol. 1. Herpetologists' League. ISBN1-893777-01-4.[pageneeded]
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Norris R. (2004) "Venom Poisoning in North American Reptiles" in Campbell JA, Lamar WW. The Venomous Reptiles of the Western Hemisphere. Comstock Publishing Associates, Ithaca and London. ISBN0-8014-4141-2.
1 2 3 4 5 Klauber LM. (1997). Rattlesnakes: Their Habitats, Life Histories, and Influence on Mankind. 2nd ed. First published in 1956, 1972. University of California Press, Berkeley. ISBN0-520-21056-5.[pageneeded]
↑ Stolpe, Michael R; Norris, Robert L; Chisholm, Carey D; Hartshorne, Michael F; Okerberg, Carl; Ehler, William J; Posch, John (1989). "Preliminary observations on the effects of hyperbaric oxygen therapy on western diamondback rattlesnake (Crotalus atrox) venom poisoning in the rabbit model". Annals of Emergency Medicine. 18 (8): 871–4. doi:10.1016/S0196-0644(89)80216-1. PMID2757285.
↑ Taylor, E. N.; Denardo, D. F. (2005). "Sexual size dimorphism and growth plasticity in snakes: an experiment on the Western Diamond-backed Rattlesnake (Crotalus atrox)". Journal of Experimental Zoology Part A: Ecological Genetics and Physiology. 303 (7): 598–607. Bibcode:2005JEZA..303..598T. doi:10.1002/jez.a.189. PMID15945080.
↑ Vial, J. L.; Jimenez-Porras, J. M. (1967). "The Ecogeography of the Bushmaster, Lachesis muta, in Central America". American Midland Naturalist. 78 (1): 182–187. doi:10.2307/2423378. JSTOR2423378.
↑ Ernst, CH; Ernst, EM. 2003. Snakes of the United States and Canada. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution.
↑ Bolette, David P. (August 1997). "First Record of Pachysentis canicola (Acanthocephala: Oligacanthorhynchida) and the Occurrence of Mesocestoides sp. Tetrathyridia (Cestoidea: Cyclophyllidea) in the Western Diamondback Rattlesnake, Crotalus atrox (Serpentes: Viperidae)". The Journal of Parasitology. 83 (4): 751–752. doi:10.2307/3284256. JSTOR3284256. PMID9267421.
↑ Bjarnason, Jon B.; Tu, Anthony T. (1978). "Hemorrhagic toxins from western diamondback rattlesnake (Crotalus atrox) venom: Isolation and characterization of five toxins and the role of zinc in hemorrhagic toxin e". Biochemistry. 17 (16): 3395–404. doi:10.1021/bi00609a033. PMID210790.
↑ Calvete, Juan J.; Fasoli, Elisa; Sanz, Libia; Boschetti, Egisto; Righetti, Pier Giorgio (2009). "Exploring the Venom Proteome of the Western Diamondback Rattlesnake, Crotalus atrox, via Snake Venomics and Combinatorial Peptide Ligand Library Approaches". Journal of Proteome Research. 8 (6): 3055–67. doi:10.1021/pr900249q. PMID19371136.
↑ Gutiérrez, J; Rucavado, A (2000). "Snake venom metalloproteinases:Their role in the pathogenesis of local tissue damage". Biochimie. 82 (9–10): 841–50. doi:10.1016/S0300-9084(00)01163-9. PMID11086214.
↑ Brown JH. (1973). Toxicology and Pharmacology of Venoms from Poisonous Snakes. Springfield, Illinois: Charles C. Thomas. LCCCN 73–229. ISBN0-398-02808-7.[pageneeded]
↑ L. Pitts, Steven & Hughes, Bryan & Mali, Ivana. (2017). Rattlesnake Nuisance Removals and Urban Expansion in Phoenix, Arizona. Western North American Naturalist. 73. 309-3016. 10.3398/064.077.0304.
↑ Nowak, E.M., Hare, T, & McNally, J (2002). Management of nuisance vipers: effects of translocation on western diamondback rattlesnakes (Crotalus atrox). Biology of the Vipers, 533-560
Further reading
Baird, S.F. & C. Girard. 1853. Catalogue of North American Reptiles in the Museum of the Smithsonian Institution. Part I. – Serpents. Smithsonian Institution. Washington, District of Columbia. xvi + 172 pp. (Crotalus atrox, pp.5–6.)
Yancey FD II, Meinzer W, Jones C. 1997. Aberrant morphology in western diamondback rattlesnakes (Crotalus atrox). Occasional Papers of the Museum of Texas Tech University, 167: 1–4. PDF at Natural Science Research Laboratory. Accessed 26 August 2007.
Richards, I. S., & Bourgeois, M. M. (2014). Principles and practice of toxicology in public health (2nd ed.). Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.
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