Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake
Crotalus adamanteus
This large viper gets its name from the diamond shape pattern that runs down its back. Although becoming more and more rare the Eastern Diamondback can reach up to 8ft although the average is more like 4 to 6 ft.
Preferred habitat is upland, pine flats woods and is one of the commensal ( animals that benefit from one another)species that will use and share the burrow of the gopher tortoise. Swamp Girl often refers to the Eastern Diamondbacks as the gopher tortoise security system and is another reason to leave tortoise burrow alone!
The eastern diamondback like other vipers have holes on their faces often between the eye and those called Pit organs that contain a membrane that detects infrared thermal radiation from warm bodies allowing them to strike accurately and in the dark! A blind folded rattlesnake can still hit its target!!
It takes a Female eastern diamondback 2 to 6 years to reach sexual maturity. Females reproduce at 2 to 4 year intervals. Breeding begins in late summer early fall. It takes 6 to 7 months before the female bears live young after hatching from eggs within the mother's body. This is called ovoviviparous. Mommy snake and her newborn snakelings will stay at the birthing site for seven to 10 days before disbursing.
Diet- The Eastern Diamondback will often feed on rats, quail squirrels and rabbits
Defense! Although it often believed that snakes are out to get us and want to chase us down to bite us, there is plenty of facts to help debunk this myth!
Venomous snakes are special as they have a different adaptation that aids them in catching and digesting their food, Venom! This proves that the venom is necessary for their survival and is not the first choice in defense! Their first choice is to slither away quickly, but if they feel trapped they will use their amazing and noisy defense adaptation called the rattle! They curl their body up and rattle the tail hoping to scare away the predator! If this does not work they will then use what they really prefer to conserve and that their venomous bite. Did you know that venomous snakes will often deliver a "dry" bite! That means no venom is secreted from the venom glands during the bite once again proving this is not what their venom is really meant for! Most bites are due to human carelessness or aggression.
Listen to the Eastern Diamondback rattlesnake’s rattle.
Photo by Charles Titterington
Remember these definitions!
Defense- The action of resisting or defending of an attack
Aggressive- Hostile or violent behavior intended to cause physical harm toward another
THREATS : Primary threats are, habitat destruction, killing by humans, collection for commercial skin trade and vehicle fatalities. Cool Fact - In proportion to length the eastern dimandback has the longest fangs of any rattlesnake! For example a 8 ft Eastern diamondback would have fangs about an inch long!