Reptiles · Squamata · Viperidae

Mohave Rattlesnake

Crotalus scutulatus

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

The Mohave rattlesnake is the most venomous rattlesnake in North America, with a venom that combines neurotoxic and haemorrhagic effects. Its peculiarity is that the composition of that venom changes from region to region: there are populations with a predominantly neurotoxic venom and others with a haemorrhagic one, and both occur together in intermediate areas.

Weight

828 g on average

Size

60 cm – 1.4 m

Lifespan

15 years

Diet

Carnivore

Feeds mainly on other animals.

Activity

Nocturnal

Active mainly at night.

Social structure

Solitary

Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

DesertGrasslandCarnivore Nocturnal Solitary Reptile Desert Grassland

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Fun facts

GeneralIts venom combines neurotoxic and haemotoxic effects, which makes it especially dangerous.
Its venom changes from population to population: in some areas it is predominantly neurotoxic and several times more lethal, and in others haemorrhagic like that of the other rattlesnakes, with intermediate populations combining the two. That variability complicates medical treatment.
It is told apart from the western diamondback rattlesnake by the width of the bands on its tail: the white ones are broader than the black, the other way round from its relative, a detail with real medical consequences.
It prefers open creosote flats to rocky ground, a habitat different from that of most south-western rattlesnakes.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (reptile)
Habitat & environment: Low scrub desert, creosote flats and arid grassland of south-western North America
Sexual maturity: 3 years
Gestation / incubation: 5 months of gestation
Litter / clutch size: 8 live young

Sources consulted: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crotalus_scutulatus