In Colorado there are three species of rattlesnakes: the prairie rattlesnake (Green rattlesnake), the damaged snake is gone (Crotalus oregano concolor), and the western massasauga snake (Sistrurus tergeminus). Each has carved out a unique niche across an incredibly diverse landscape. The prairie rattlesnake is widespread, occurring in grasslands, hills, and scrubland below 9,500 feet. The … Read more
Emily Taylor has lived in California for 20 years and has never received as many calls about rattlesnakes as she did last month. Taylor owns Central Coast Snake Services, a snake consulting business, runs the Physiological Ecology of Reptiles Laboratory at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and is part of a network of volunteers who … Read more
Nebraska is not usually a place we associate with deadly rattlesnakes. But in this Midwest state there are three species of venomous snakes: the prairie rattlesnake (Green rattlesnake), wood snake (A horrible rattlesnake), and the western massasauga (Sistrurus tergeminus). The prairie rattlesnake has the widest range, occurring throughout the western mixed grass and shortgrass prairie; … Read more
In the Pacific Northwest there are different species of rattlesnake, such as the western rattlesnake (Crotalus oreganus) and its subspecies, such as the Great Basin rattlesnake, that live in the slopes and grasslands of the region. While encounters are still rare, some areas across Washington, Oregon, and Idaho are known to support more people than … Read more
Rattlesnakes live in Illinois, but most people won’t see them. They keep to themselves, avoid noise and movement, and spend most of their time hiding in places that are not frequented by humans. When sightings do occur, they are usually in quiet, less developed parts of the country, and the most common encounters are hikers, … Read more
New England supports only one species of rattlesnake: the timber rattlesnake. This is the only species of rattlesnake that can survive in the mountainous, very cold region of this far north, and yet, it faces many threats, caused by the destruction of habitats and human activities. Growing from 3 to 5 feet in length, timber … Read more