The Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake is the largest species of Rattlesnake in the world. They can grow to lengths of up to 8 feet. However, most won’t get any larger than 5ft.
This snake is native to the South-Eastern United States. They can be found in states such as Florida, Georgia and Alabama. They ‘hibernate’ during the winter months to escape the cold.
Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake Taxonomy
The scientific name for the Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake is Crotalus adamanteus. The Crotalus genus contains all the species of Rattlesnake.
All the snakes in the Crotalus genus are venomous Pit Vipers that are only found in the Americas, ranging from Southern Canada to Northern Argentina.
The Name Crotalus comes from a Greek word that translates to Rattle, referring to the distinctive Rattle on the end of these snake’s tail.
There are currently around 50 different recognised species of Rattlesnakes. The exact number is constantly changing as sub-species are getting reclassified to full species level and vice versa.
Some of the more common species of Rattlesnake include the Western Diamondback Rattlesnake, Timber Rattlesnake, Prairie Rattlesnake, Pygmy Rattlesnake and the Massasauga Rattlesnake.
There are no recognised sub-species of Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake.
Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake Description
The Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake is the largest species of Rattlesnake in the world, reaching an average length of about 5ft. However, snakes measuring up to 8ft have been found but this is rare.
Unlike many species of snake, the males are generally larger than the females. They are heavy bodied and have keeled and pitted scales.
They are generally olive green, tan or brown in color with the diamond shaped pattern along their dorsal that gives these snakes their common name. The belly of the snake is usually an off yellow color.
They have heat sensing pits beside their nostrils to help them locate warm blooded prey. They also have hinged fangs that ‘fold’ back into their mouth.
Distribution and Habitat
The Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake is native to the Lower Coastal Plain of South-Eastern United States. They can be found in states such as Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina and parts of North Carolina. They share much of their range with the Rough Green Snake and Eastern Indigo Snake.
They inhabit a variety of different habitats such as pine forests, grassy areas, open fields. They can also be found in other densely vegetated areas where prey is plentiful.
However, they can also be found in dry sandy areas and coastal dune habitats. The majority of these snakes are found in Florida and Southern Georgia. It is one of the most commonly seen venomous snake in Florida.
Behaviour
The Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake is a solitary animal, except during the breeding season. Males will battle for the right to territory if a form of ‘combat dance’.
While many North American snakes brumate in groups in underground burrows, these snakes tend to brumate in isolation. Only the snakes in the Northern part of their range brumate. The rattlesnakes in Southern Florida do not need to as it is warm enough year-round.
They are mainly a diurnal species, meaning they are most active during the day. They are an ambush predator, sitting motionless for hours at a time waiting for prey to come within striking distance.
They use the rattle on the end of their tail as a defensive mechanism. The rattle is intended to intimidate and scare off a potential threat. If this doesn’t work, an Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake won’t hesitate to bite if it feels threatened.
Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake Venom
The Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake is largely regarded as being the most dangerous snake in North America. The mortality rate for untreaded bites is considerably high, at around 20%.
Not only is this the largest species of rattlesnake, they also have the largest fangs in relation to the size of the snake than any other species of rattlesnake. They also have a very high venom yield.
It is the sheer volume of venom that these snakes can inject that makes them so dangerous. It is estimated that 100-150mg of venom (dry venom) is enough to kill a human while a single bite can inject over 400mg.