Crotalus catalinensis

The Santa Catalina rattlesnake (Crotalus catalinensis ) is a species of rattlesnakes, which occurs exclusively on the Mexican island of Santa Catalina. It is in this medium with about 60 centimeters body length queue at the only rattlesnake that does not form a tail rattle.

Features

The Santa Catalina rattlesnake is about 60 inches long rule, and is very slim. There are two known color morphs. The more common form has a pale to reddish brown ground color with dark, diamond-shaped and dark and light spots edged back. A wide brown stripe crosses the eyes to the corners of the mouth. The second form is ash-gray ground color with dark gray dorsal spots. The most striking feature of this type is the lack of a tail rattle, this is always only a single horn ring.

Distribution and habitat

The Santa Catalina rattlesnake lives on the island of Santa Catalina in the Gulf of California. It is a dry desert island whose vegetation consists only of sparse growing cacti and shrubs.

Way of life

Like most rattlesnakes this species is crepuscular and nocturnal and lives mainly on the ground. Occasionally climbs the snake looking for prey in the low vegetation and hunts here lizards and small birds and their nestlings.

Snake venom

Little is known about the specific effect of the venom of this snake, it is believed that the other rattlesnakes, especially that of the closely related red diamond rattlesnake (Crotalus ruber) or the Mojave rattlesnake (Crotalus scutulatus ) is similar.