Reptiles · Squamata · Viperidae

Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake

Crotalus adamanteus

Least Concern

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

The eastern diamondback rattlesnake — known in Spanish as crótalo adamantino or cascabel diamantino del este — is a venomous snake belonging to the pit viper subfamily. At a maximum length of 240 cm, it is one of the longest venomous snakes on the American continent and the longest of all the rattlesnakes. Its range is confined to the south-eastern United States.

Weight

2 kg – 10 kg

Size

1.2 m – 2.4 m

Lifespan

20 years

Diet

Carnivore

Feeds mainly on other animals.

Activity

Diurnal

Active mainly during the day.

Social structure

Solitary

Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

Temperate forestDesertGrasslandCarnivore Diurnal Solitary Reptile Temperate forest Desert Grassland

1countries 3parks22same family

Fun facts

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.