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Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake

Eastern diamondback rattlesnake is the most dangerous venomous snake in North America. They are the largest rattlesnake with no subspecies. They are stout-bodied pit vipers and are known to be deadly and aggressive.

Scientific Classification
Quick Information

Kingdom	Animalia
Phylum	Chordata
Subphylum	Vertebrata
Class	Reptilia
Order	Squamata
Suborder	Serpentes
Family	Viperidae
Subfamily	Crotalinae
Genus	Crotalus
Scientific Name	Crotalus adamanteus

Other Names	Eastern Diamondback
Length	3.5 to 5.5 ft (average), some may reach 8 feet
Weight	0.8 to 4.9 kg (average)
Color	Ground color is brownish, brownish-yellow, brownish-gray or olive covered with a series of dark brown to black diamond –shaped patches, the patches are outlined with a row of cream or yellowish scales; diamond shapes are more like crossbands towards the posterior; belly is yellowish or cream with dark spots along the sides
Distribution	Southeastern North Carolina, peninsular Florida to the Florida keys, southern Alabama, Mississippi, southeastern Louisiana
Habitat	Upland dry pine forest, pine and palmetto flatwoods, sandhills, coastal maritime hammocks, longleaf pine/turkey oak habitats, grass-sedge marshes, swamp forest, cypress swamps, sandy mixed woodlands, mesic hammocks, xeric hammocks, wet prairies, salt marshes, burrows made by gophers and gopher tortoises
Diet	Rabbits, squirrels, rats, mice, birds, large insects
Hibernation Period	Hibernates during winter months
Venom Fact	Highly toxic
Breeding Season	Spring
Mode of Reproduction	Ovoviviparous (produces young ones by means of eggs hatched inside the body of the parent)
Litter Size	7 to 21
Gestation Period	6 or 7 months
Reproductive Age	3 years of age
Average Lifespan	In captivity: 22.8 years (average)
IUCN Conservation Status	Least Concern