Crotalus scutulatus

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Crotalus scutulatus is a venomous rattlesnake species found in the southwestern United States and central Mexico. Also known as the Mojave rattlesnake (pronounced /mohɑveɪ/), this species is perhaps best known for its potent venom, which is particularly dangerous, even among other rattlesnakes.

Contents

1 Physical description
2 Habitat
3 Behavior
4 Venom
5 External links and references

Physical description

C. scutulatus grows to between two and four feet in length, while the color varies from shades of brown to green depending on the surroundings. The green hue found among Mojave rattlesnakes has led to them being known as Mojave Greens in some areas. Like C. atrox (the Western Diamondback rattlesnake), which it closely resembles, the C. scutulatus has a dark, diamond pattern down its back. However, with C. scutulatus the diamond pattern ends before the tail, giving way to wide, white bands.

Habitat

Mojave Rattlesnakes inhabit a range that includes California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Utah, Nevada, and central Mexico. Primarily a snake of high desert or lower mountain slopes, they are often found near scrub brush such as mesquite and creosote, but may also reside in lowland areas of sparse vegetation, among cacti, Joshua tree forests, or grassy plains.

Behavior

Mojave rattlers are most active from April to September, and hibernate alone or in small groups during the winter. Nocturnal hunters, they prey mostly on small rodents and lizards. Females bear live young, from two to eleven, in July or August.

Venom

Rattlesnake venom typically contains a hemotoxin. While some Mojave rattlesnakes (Venom B populations) exhibit hemotoxic venom, there are others (Venom A populations) that possess what is referred to as "Mojave Toxin", a potent neurotoxin, and still others that demonstrate both hemotoxic and neurotoxic venom. Due to the danger posed by the Mojave Toxin, the bite of a Mojave Rattlesnake is considered one of the most dangerous in the United States. The manufacture of CroFab antivenin makes use of venom from the Mojave Rattlesnakes which display both hemotoxic and neurotoxic effects, as a way of providing a treatment for both potential effects. The Mojave Toxin has been isolated in populations of other species of rattlesnake, including the C. lepidus, C. mitchellii, and C. viridis.^[link]

External links and references

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