However, rattlesnakes can also be found in a wide variety of other habitats including prairies, marshes, deserts, and forests. I know that while hiking, there is some "safety" from snakes because you are . They show preference for the desert flatland with sparse vegetation including creosote bush, cacti, mesquite, and Joshua tree woodlands. Behavior of Rattlers: In the northern areas of their range, and at higher elevations, rattlesnakes congregate in the fall at crevices in rocky ledges to hibernate for the winter.
Below are the six species of rattlesnake you may encounter in California. From the Mojave Desert in the west, to the 210 mountain ranges, the state has somewhere for almost every species to live.
Western diamondback rattlesnakes can be found in the whole southern half of the state. Genus: Crotalus Species: scutulatus. The Mojave rattlesnake, also known as the Mojave green, has the most potent venom of any rattlesnake in the Nevada desert. It can also be found in the extreme western part of Texas, and Southern Nevada to Puebla, near the southern edge of the Mexican plateau. The Mojave Rattlesnake lives mainly in the high desert and lower mountain slopes. It is also the most elusive. During April through September the snake is most active throughout the night and during the cooler hours of twilight. I plan to start doing some hunting in the greater southern Nevada Mojave desert (say within a 2 hour drive of Las Vegas). The rattlesnake is found in many different biomes, ranging from along the coast at sea level, to inland prairies and desert areas, and all the way to mountains at elevations of more than 10,000 feet. The snakes use this process to slow their … Crotalus oreganus. Stack Exchange Network. Rattlesnakes are also identifiable by their distinctive triangular head shape not shared between the states nonvenomous snakes. Rattlesnakes prefer a temperature range between 80 and 90 °F (26 and 32 °C), but can survive temperatures below freezing, recovering from brief exposure to temperatures as low as 4 °F (−16 °C), and surviving for several days in temperatures as low as 37 °F (3 °C). They are common to the whole southwest. We'll show you how identify them, and then discuss what to do if you find yourself in one's presence. As the name says, this snake lives in the Mojave Desert of California. Mojave rattlesnakes use existing rodent burrows for brumation during the winter months. Mojave Rattlesnake.
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