Common name : Western rattlesnake, Plains rattlesnake
Scientific name : Crotalus viridis
Family : Viperidae
Native to : United States, Canada and Mexico
Interesting fact : A rattle is added to its tail every time the snake sheds its skin which is one to two times a year.
Conservation status : Least Concern
Prairie rattlesnakes can be as long as 150 cm. They have heat-sensing pits in their triangular heads to sense prey. They have rattle segments in their tail ends which they shake when threatened producing the typical rattling sound. These venomous snakes prefer open prairies, haylands and croplands, and feed on mice, ground squirrels, prairie dogs, other snakes, lizards and birds.
