Western Diamondback   Photo by George Wall Description:   This “venomous” rattlesnake is the king of our 20 species and sub-species of our Southwestern rattlers. Its color ranges from brown to gray and its back is lined with diamond shaped blotches from which it gets its name. Its tail is circled by several bands of black and white just before the rattle. The Western Diamondback can get to be over 7 feet in length. Diet:  They’ll eat rats, mice, prairie dogs, rabbits, gophers, chipmunks, squirrels and even birds if the opportunity arises..   Nesting:  During the cold months, the Western Diamondback lives in a community den, but in the spring when they come out they are sexually driven, hungary and very mean. Once a female is inseminated, she will be her young live, in late summer. The young are dangerous at birth because they already have fangs and venom. The mother abandons them immediately and they are on their own at birth. Habitat:  This snake has a diverse habitat ranging from sea level to over 6,000 feet.  They can live in the desert, rocky hillsides, forest, river bottoms, mountains, etc. It is even a good swimmer. Range:  They are found in Arkansas, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, southern tip of California and Mexico. Notes:   The old saying you can tell the age of a rattlesnake by its rings is false. It can add 2-3 rattles a year.  There are only about 5 rattlesnake deaths per year among all rattlesnakes. You are more likely to die from bee stings than a rattlesnake bite.

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