Diamondback Rattlesnakes

Read on to know more about the largest of all North American venomous reptiles – the Diamond Rattlesnakes…

The Diamondback Rattlesnakes belong to the family Crotalidae and are also the largest of all venomous reptiles found in North America. These snakes are very aggressive and also very easily excitable. They cause more fatalities in the United States than any other snake. The Diamondback are highly defensive and use their rattles as a means to display warning. The rattles can activate between 40 to 60 cycles per second. These rattlesnakes are identified based on the location that they are found in:

• Western Diamondback Rattlesnake: These snakes (Crotalus atrox) are found in the arid Southwestern deserts. They habitat dry, shrub covered terrain where they can conceal themselves.
• Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake: These snakes (Crotalus adamanteus) are found primarily in North Carolina, Louisiana and Florida. These rattlesnakes prefer high humidity and have been seen swimming in the salt water in the Florida keys.

Diamondback Rattlesnakes – Physical Appearance

The color of the Diamondback rattlesnakes ranges from a yellowish grey, pale blue or a pinkish ground color. Diamond shapes with pale white borders are present along the length of the snake’s body. The tail of the snake is white with jet black rings. The markings on the head include a pale oblique band starting from a pale oblique band from nostril right up to upper labials. A similar but a narrower band is present behind the eye.

The Diamondback rattlesnakes are about 1.5 meters in length and can weigh up to 7 kilograms. The body of the snake is rather plump with a broad triangular head and a short tail. These snakes also have a pit organ which is located in an indentation of the upper jaw in between the nostril and the eye. The pit is approximately 5 millimeters deep and has an outer and inner chamber that is separated by a thin membrane. This membrane can sense even very slight temperature differences between the snake’s inner and surrounding temperatures.

A rattle is present at the end of the tail. Each link on the rattle is the remains of a molted skin. As the snake molts, the last scale becomes loose but does not fall off. As the snake becomes older, the new rattles are formed with each molt and the old rattle simultaneously falls off. The fangs are long and tubular.

Diamondback Rattlesnakes – Diet

The Diamondback Rattlesnakes prey on small mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and small fish. The snake uses the venom to kill the prey before eating it. The snakes swallow their prey as a whole and then digest the food as it passes through the body. These snakes eat once every 2 to 3 weeks. The annual intake of water in these snakes is equal to the weight of the body. Some water is assimilated from the prey and some is absorbed during shedding due to desiccation and evaporation.

Diamondback Rattlesnakes - Venom

The venom of the Diamondback rattlesnake is cytotoxic in nature and is also referred to as hemotoxic venom. The venom attacks the blood and prevents coagulation and at the same time it also destroys the blood vessels of the victim.

The snake fangs have a hollow cavity running along the majority of its length just like a hypodermic needle. Venom enters the fangs of the snake from the venom gland via the venom duct and travels down the hollow canal from where it is pumped into the prey with the help of incredibly sharp pointed tips of the fangs.