A small rattlesnake of the deserts of the southwestern US and northwestern Mexico. It moves by sidewinding, which leaves J-shaped tracks in loose sand, and has horn-like scales over its eyes. Females are larger than males, which is unique among US rattlesnakes.
Quick answers
What is it?Reptile
Carnivore?Yes
Dangerous?Yes
Its venom is weaker than most rattlesnakes', but any rattlesnake bite can be fatal.
Domesticated?No
Awake when?Day & night
Hibernates?No
Kept as a pet?No
Do people eat it?No
At a glance
Found inNorth America
HabitatDesert
ColoursSandy, Brown
SizeSmall
Length43–80 cm
LegsNone
Covered inScales
Lives alone
Lives for5–13 years
In the wild
- Where it lives
- Deserts of California, Nevada, Utah and Arizona, and Sonora and Baja California in Mexico.
- What it eats
- Adults eat mainly desert rodents, birds and other snakes; young ones lure lizards by wiggling their tails.
- Conservation
- Least Concern (IUCN Red List)
Did you know
Moves sideways across loose sand, leaving J-shaped tracks, and can climb dunes without slipping.
Sidewinding lets it climb sand slopes as steep as the sand can hold without slipping.
The AIM-9 Sidewinder missile is named after it: both track targets by infrared.
Often confused with
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