Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake

• GeneralThe largest rattlesnake in the world, at up to 2.4 m; it often shelters in gopher tortoise burrows.
• It depends on the gopher tortoise: it shelters in its burrows from fire, cold and predators, and its decline goes hand in hand with that of the tortoise and of the longleaf pine woods both of them need.
• Rattlesnake roundups, the traditional mass-capture contests held in several southern states, have killed tens of thousands of animals and are still held in some places despite the controversy.
• Its rattle gains a new segment at every moult, but the segments break off over time, so counting the rings does not give the animal's age, contrary to what is usually believed.

Skeleton type

Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (reptile)

Habitat and environment

Longleaf pine woods, palmetto thickets and coastal scrub of the south-eastern United States

Sexual maturity

4 years

Gestation / incubation

6 months of gestation

Litter / clutch size

12 live young

Sources consulted: Wikipedia (es): Crotalus adamanteus

The pins mark the parks where its presence is documented.