Western Diamond-backed Rattlesnake (Phoenix Zoo - Arizona Trail)

Western Diamond-backed Rattlesnake

Crotalus atrox

Summary ⁷

Crotalus atrox, the western diamondback rattlesnake, is a venomous rattlesnake species found in the United States and Mexico. It is likely responsible for the majority of snakebite fatalities in northern Mexico and the second-greatest number in the USA after C. adamanteus. No subspecies is currently recognized.

Distribution ⁸

Global Range: (200,000-2,500,000 square km (about 80,000-1,000,000 square miles)) The geographic range extends from southeastern California, possibly southern Nevada, central and southern Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas south in Mexico to extreme northeastern Baja California, northern Sinaloa, Veracruz, and (at least formerly) disjunctly to Oaxaca (Ernst 1992, Campbell and Lamar 2004). It is unclear whether specimens collected in Kansas represent translocated individuals or part of a natural population (Matlack and Rehmeier 2002). Elevational range extends from near sea level to at least 2,440 meters in San Luis Potosi (Klauber 1972), but most locations are below 1,500 meters (Campbell and Lamar 2004).

Iucn red list assessment ⁹

Red List Category

Least Concern

Red List Criteria

Version

3.1

Year Assessed

2007

Assessor/s

Frost, D.R., Hammerson, G.A. & Santos-Barrera, G.

Reviewer/s

Cox, N., Chanson, J.S. & Stuart, S.N. (Global Reptile Assessment Coordinating Team)

Contributor/s

Justification

Listed as Least Concern in view of its wide distribution, presumed large population, and because it is unlikely to be declining fast enough to qualify for listing in a more threatened category.