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Eastern Black-Tailed Rattlesnake Range Map






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Eastern Black-Tailed Rattlesnake Juvenile

Home »» Snakes »» Viperidae (Vipers) »» Eastern Black-Tailed Rattlesnake (Crotalus ornatus)


Eastern Black-Tailed Rattlesnake (Crotalus ornatus)Data Deficient





Description: A large 22 to 48 inch rattlesnake that may be brown, gray, yellow-brown, or straw colored with a series of large, black or brown, blotches on the back. The blotches are jagged-edged. A few light patches mark the interior of each dorsal blotch. The blotches are eight sided with thin lined running down the sides to the belly. On the posterior part of the body the blotches become narrow, muted crossbands. The pupils are vertical and the dorsal scales are keeled. The neck is slender and the head is wide and triangular. The body color gradually fades in to a solid black tail. Individuals also have a distinctive black "eyebrow" on their face.


Habitat: This snake is found at low regions up to 8,000 feet. It is found in a wide variety of Desertscrub to lower Conifer Forest. It seems to be most abundant in the woodlands. It is almost always found above the flats in hilly or mountainous terrain.


Range: Texas and central and eastern New Mexico


Found in these States: NM | TX


Venom: Its venom is primarily cytotoxic, with hemotoxic compounds.


Diet: They prey primarily on rodents, especially the rock pocket mouse (Chaetodipus intermedius) and cactus mouse (Peromyscus eremicus)


Reproduction: Gives live birth.


Status: Researching.....


Taxonomy: The eastern black-tailed rattlesnake was recognized as a separate species distinct from the Black-tailed rattlesnake (Crotalus molossus ssp.) in 2012.

»» Kingdom: Animalia - Animals
   »» Phylum: Chordata - Chordates
     »» Subphylum: Vertebrata - Vertebrates
       »» Class: Reptilia - Reptiles
         »» Order: Squamata - Scaled Reptiles
           »» Suborder: Serpentes
             »» Clade: Colubroides
               »» Family: Viperidae - Vipers
                   »» Genus: Crotalus
                     »» Species: Crotalus ornatus - Eastern Black-Tailed Rattlesnake

This article uses material from the New Mexico Herp Society article "Crotalus ornatus", which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0. Content may have been omitted from the original, but no content has been changed or extended.

 

 

 

 


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U.S. Guide to Venomous Snakes and Their Mimics     Venomous Snakebite in the Western United States     Venomous Snakes Of The Southeast     The 10 Most Dangerous Snakes in the United States and Canada



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Disclaimer: ITIS taxonomy is based on the latest scientific consensus available, and is provided as a general reference source for interested parties. However, it is not a legal authority for statutory or regulatory purposes. While every effort has been made to provide the most reliable and up-to-date information available, ultimate legal requirements with respect to species are contained in provisions of treaties to which the United States is a party, wildlife statutes, regulations, and any applicable notices that have been published in the Federal Register. For further information on U.S. legal requirements with respect to protected taxa, please contact the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

 
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