:''Common names: Grand Canyon rattlesnake,
canyon bleached rattlesnake.
[ Wright AH, Wright AA. 1957. ''Handbook of Snakes''. Comstock Publishing Associates. (7th printing, 1985). 1105 pp. .]''
''Crotalus oreganus abyssus'' is a
venomous
Venom or zootoxin is a type of toxin produced by an animal that is actively delivered through a wound by means of a bite, sting, or similar action. The toxin is delivered through a specially evolved ''venom apparatus'', such as fangs or a sti ...
pit viper subspecies found only in the
U.S. states
In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...
of
Arizona
Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...
and
Utah
Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to it ...
.
Description
This is a medium to large rattlesnake. Adults measure 16–54 inches (41–137 cm) in total length.
Dorsally, they have dark blotches on a variety of base colors ranging from reddish, pink, yellow/green, light tan, to gray. The blotches usually become crossbands near the tail. The young usually have more prominent blotches and facial markings than the adults. Some adults have no body markings.
The
rostral scale
The rostral scale, or rostral, in snakes and other scaled reptiles is the median plate on the tip of the snout that borders the mouth opening. Wright AH, Wright AA (1957). ''Handbook of Snakes of the United States and Canada''. Ithaca and London: ...
usually comes into contact with more than 2
internasal scales
In snakes, the internasal scales are those on top of the head between the scales that surround the nostrils. Wright AH, Wright AA (1957). ''Handbook of Snakes of the United States and Canada''. Ithaca and London: Comstock Publishing Associates. (7t ...
.
Geographic range
Found in northwestern and north-central
Arizona
Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...
along both rims and the floor of the Grand Canyon and adjacent areas,, and North into Utah on the Kaiparowits Plateau between the Escalante River and Paria River Drainages of Kane and Garfield Counties, Utah.
Habitat
The snake is found in a variety of habitats, including grassland,
Great Basin Desert
The Great Basin Desert is part of the Great Basin between the Sierra Nevada (U.S.), Sierra Nevada and the Wasatch Range. The desert is a geographical region that largely overlaps the Great Basin shrub steppe defined by the World Wildlife Fund, a ...
scrubland, bottoms in the
Grand Canyon, talus and cliff slopes, rolling hills and bajadas in pinion-juniper woodland, and
pine
A pine is any conifer tree or shrub in the genus ''Pinus'' () of the family Pinaceae. ''Pinus'' is the sole genus in the subfamily Pinoideae. The World Flora Online created by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and Missouri Botanical Garden accepts ...
forests.
Behavior
It is primarily diurnal but can be active around the clock when conditions are favorable. The cryptic coloration and calm demeanor of this subspecies often allows it to escape detection from passersby.
Feeding
It feeds on squirrels, mice, lizards, and birds.
Taxonomy notes
Some researchers list this taxon as elevated to a full species as (Crotalus abyssus), or as a subspecies of the Great Basin Rattlesnake (
Crotalus lutosus) as (Crotalus lutosus abyssus), in the Annotated Checklist of the Rattlesnakes (Second Edition), published in The Biology of Rattlesnakes II 2017.
[Kent R. Beaman, and William K. Hayes. 2017. ''The Biology of Rattlesnakes'' II 236 pp. ]
References
Further reading
*
Klauber, L.M. 1930. New and Renamed Subspecies of ''Crotalus confluentus''
Say
Say may refer to:
Music
*''Say'' (album), 2008 album by J-pop singer Misono
* "Say" (John Mayer song), 2007
*"Say (All I Need)", 2007 song by American pop rock band OneRepublic
* "Say" (Method Man song), 2006 single by rapper Method Man
* "Say" ( ...
, with Remarks on Related Species. Trans. San Diego Soc. Nat. Hist.
6 (3): 95–144, including Plates 9–12, 1 map. ("''Crotalus confluentus abyssus, subsp. nov.''", pp. 114–117 + Plate 11, figure 1.)
External links
*
Images of ''Crotalus oreganus abyssus''a
California Reptiles and Amphibians Accessed 18 June 2008.
{{Authority control
oreganus abyssus
Reptiles of the United States
Endemic fauna of the United States
Fauna of the Southwestern United States
Natural history of the Grand Canyon