Crotalus adamanteus
(Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake)
Crotalus adamanteus (Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake)
Lineage ( abbreviated ): Eukaryota; Metazoa; Chordata; Craniata; Vertebrata; Lepidosauria; Squamata; Scleroglossa; Serpentes; Colubroidea; Viperidae; Crotalinae; Crotalus.
Size- 33-72" long.
Coloration- vertical light stripes extend from the head to the tail, brown with a dorsal pattern of dark, yellow-bordered, diamond-like blotches, brown and white tail.
Largest and bulkiest venomous snake in the United States.
Uses its deep sensory pit between the nostril and eye to detect infrared heat. By using this trait, an Eastern diamondback is able to detect warm-blooded animals up to 20 inches away
RANGE- found in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi and eastern Louisiana, and middle to southern Georgia.
Dry, lowland palmetto or wiregrass flatwoods, pine, or oak woodlands; generally avoids marshes and swamps, but on occasion lives near the borders of wetland areas.
Individual dispositions vary. Some snakes will permit close approach with out making a sound, whereas others, completely concealed, will rattle when dogs or persons are 20 or 30 feet away. Many stand their ground, but when hard pressed they back away, rattling vigorously but still facing the intruder.
Snakes lie waiting for prey beside logs or near the roots of fallen trees, and diamondbacks seek out this prey by detecting motion. Once motion is detected, the diamondback starts on the trail of a meal. In addition to the odor that prey emit, the diamondbacks also detect infrared heat waves emitted by prey.When found, prey is typically bitten only once. The wounded prey is released after the strike, and is allowed to crawl away and die. The snake will pursue until finding the victim, determining if it is dead, then starting to devour it head-first.Young feed primarily on mice and rats, while adults prefer larger prey such as rabbits and squirrels. Birds are also taken on occasion.
Mates in the late summer and fall. The number of young per brood ranges from six to 21 after a gestation period of six to seven months. Young are born in retreats such as gopher tortoise burrows or hollow logs.
During the mating season, there is a male social dominance system with diamondback rattlesnakes. If two males meet in search of females, they may interact with a combat session. They examine each other by flicking their tongues and staring. With heads bent toward the ground, the snakes entwine each other and try to throw the other off balance and to the ground by pushing with the body and the neck. Biting is never used in combat sessions.
Adult diamondbacks have few natural predators. However, the young have many enemies such as hogs, carnivorous mammals (the gray fox), raptors (the red-tailed hawk), and other snakes (especially king snakes). Humans are by far the worst enemy of the Eastern diamondback. Many will kill a rattlesnake on sight, automobiles and habitat loss also destroy many each year. Commercial rattlesnake roundups have also taken a toll on the species.
