The southwestern speckled rattlesnake is a venomous viper that can be found in both the United States and Mexico. These beautiful snakes can come in many different colors, often matching the environment and rocks around them. Keep reading to learn more about these fascinating rattlesnakes!
Southwestern speckled rattlesnakes were also featured in our article 10 Rattlesnakes We Share The Earth With if you want to learn about more awesome rattlesnakes!
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Quick Facts
Scientific Name: Crotalus pyrrhus
Common Names: Southwestern Speckled Rattlesnake, Speckled Rattlesnake, Bleached Rattlesnake, Pallid Rattlesnake
Geographic Range: Mexico, United States
Life Span: 22+ Years in Captivity
Conservation Status: Not Listed
Top 10 List – Southwestern Speckled Rattlesnake
1. Southwestern Speckled Rattlesnakes Can Come in Various Different Colors
Soutwestern speckled rattlesnakes are around 61 – 106.7 cm (2 – 3.5 feet) in length, although some may be slightly larger. Their colors often, although not always, tend to be close in color to the habitat of the specific rattlesnake. This means that these awesome snakes come in many varieties of colors including gray, blue gray, tan, brown, yellow, orange, cream, white, pink, terracotta red, and possibly even more. They have darker crossbands and blotches that run across their body, that give them their speckled appearance. Their pupils are vertical, and they have a broad triangular head and narrow neck. As with most rattlesnakes, they have a rattle on their tail that has a new segment added to it each time they shed. They also have two hollow fangs that help inject venom into their prey.
2. They Prefer Areas With Rocks and Boulders
Southwestern speckled rattlesnakes prefer areas that are rocky and have lots of boulders. They also prefer higher elevations, often being found on rocky slopes and outcroppings that are at elevations of up to 1500m (5000 feet), or sometimes higher! The areas they live in include rocky fragmented terrain with minimal vegetation, dry deserts, grasslands, and occasionally pine-oak forests.
3. They Are Carnivorous Ambush Hunters
Southwestern speckled rattlesnakes are ambush hunters, meaning that they will try to hide near rodent or lizard trails and wait for prey to walk by, before striking. Heat sensing pits on either side of their face help the snake locate their prey’s warmth. Once they’ve spotted their prey, they will strike and use their fangs to inject their prey with venom that will quickly immobilize them. The main prey for these rattlesnakes includes small mammals such as ground squirrels and rabbits, lizards as large as chuckwallas, and occasionally birds. Adults eat mainly mammals, with lizards and birds being more occasional.
4. Southwestern Speckled Rattlesnakes Are Terrestrial
Southwestern speckled rattlesnakes are terrestrial, meaning that they spend the majority of their time on the ground. They are mostly diurnal (awake during the day) early and late in the season, but tend to be more nocturnal during the summer when the days are hot. During the winter they may come together to lay in rock outcrops or underground burrows of other animals in order to protect themselves from the cold. In some cases up to 180 snakes have been observed together. However, some of these rattlesnakes choose to be solitary, spending the winter alone.
They have been observed using their body to collect drops of rain which they can then drink. This is known as rain harvesting and helps the snake when there isn’t much water around them.
5. Baby Rattlesnakes Resemble The Adults But Are Smaller
Female southwestern speckled rattlesnakes are ovoviviparous, meaning they keep the eggs inside of them while they incubate, hatch them inside of their body, and then give birth to live young. Breeding season for these snakes is in spring. In July or August, the mother will birth 2 to 12 young. The young rattlesnakes mostly resemble the adults, but are smaller, only around 21.6 – 26.7 cm (8.5 – 10.5 inches) in length. They also do not have a full rattle when born, only a small button that does not make a sound. Their rattle will grow as they age and shed. Young southwestern speckled rattlesnakes tend to eat more lizards than adults, switching to mostly eating mammals as they age.
6. They Are Venomous, Using Their Venom For Food And Defense
Rattlesnakes are venomous, meaning they have venom glands, that the snake can then take the venom from and push through their hollow fangs in order to inject their prey or threat with their venom. However, bites tend to be rare as southwestern speckled rattlesnakes tend to avoid humans whenever possible. Bites can happen, so it is important to be cautious. If you are out walking where these rattlesnakes can be found make sure you watch your step to avoid stepping on them, don’t approach or try to pick them up, and be careful if you sit down or pick something up. As long as you are aware of your surroundings you should be okay.
The most common symptoms of a southwestern speckled rattlesnake bite include pain at the bite site as well as swelling, skin discoloration, and blistering of the skin. In some rare cases the venom can cause nausea and vomiting, impaired coagulation, shock, mild paralysis, trouble breathing, weakness, and dizziness. The main treatment for a rattlesnake bite is antivenom, and if needed doctors may also provide pain medications, blood transfusions, and peritoneal dialysis. Quick treatment usually has an excellent rate of recovery, so if you or someone you know has been bit please seek treatment right away for the best outcome!
7. They Use Their Rattles To Warn Off Threats
Southwestern speckled rattlesnakes don’t have any major threats that come from other animals. However, humans do have an impact on the amount of rattlesnakes killed, injured, or taken from the wild population. These rattlesnakes are impacted by habitat destruction and loss, injured by cars while crossing roads or laying on roads, killed by humans for various reasons, and some are collected for pet collections because of their desirable colors.
Often they will try to avoid confrontation, mainly by holding still and trying to blend into the background until they are actually confronted. When alarmed, they will start moving their tail back and forth to create a rattle sound as a warning. They may also expand their body and raise their heads up. Before striking, they tend to continuously coil around.
8. Southwestern Speckled Rattlesnakes Used To Be A Subspecies
The southwestern speckled rattlesnake used to be a subspecies of the speckled rattlesnake (Crotalus mitchellii). Their scientific name used to be Crotalus mitchellii pyrrhus. Below we show a photo of both the southwestern speckled rattlesnake and the speckled rattlesnake and talk about some of the similarities. Even as their names suggest, they do look extremely similar. However, scientists used mitochondrial and nuclear DNA analysis to determine they were separate species. In 2015 the southwestern speckled rattlesnake was elevated to its own species.
9. The Speckled In Their Name Is Due To Their Appearance
The southwestern speckled rattlesnake’s scientific name is made up of two parts. The first is Crotalus which is from the Greek word krotalon which means rattle. This is obviously in reference to the rattle on their tail, as well as on all rattlesnakes’ tails. The second is the word pyrrhus, which is from the Greek word pyrrhos which roughly means flame colored, or reddish. This could be because some of the southwestern speckled rattlesnakes have a beautiful red, pink, or orange color to them.
Their name the southwestern speckled rattlesnake is due to the fact they are found in the southwestern United States, as well as have a very speckled appearance that they use to help themselves camoflauge in their surroundings.
10. Southwestern Speckled Rattlesnakes And Speckled Rattlesnakes Are Often Mistaken For Eachother
Photo Source
Photo Source
As even their names are similar it isn’t a surprise that the speckled rattlesnake and the southwestern speckled rattlesanek can be confused for each other. As mentioned above, the southwestern speckled rattlesnake even used to be a subspecies of the speckled rattlesnake. This was most likely due to their extremely similar appearance, as well as the fact they are both found in the United States and Mexico. However, they are now considered separate species and can often be confused for one another.
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