List of Rattlesnakes by Scientific Names
By Robert C. Jadin
Following is information that was taken from a website that we feel accurately reflects the current taxonomy of rattlesnakes. As you will see, taxonomy has changed quite a bit in recent years and more changes will most likely be coming soon. If you see a common name underlined, this means that this particular snake is represented in the Grass Is Rattling exhibit. Click on that snake and you will see a picture of it!
Currently working with revisions of this list
This list is different than what many text and herpetologists say. This list is a compilation of many different books, articles, and other peer-reviewed publications that I have read over the years. I am not going to reflect why these snakes should be listed this way as I did not do any of the research that places them in these taxonomic orders and since these publications have already been released. This is a very opinionated list of the way I think the current taxonomy should be, however many systematists agree and disagree with different aspects of certain areas in this list (e.g. the oreganus/viridis complex). I tend to favor the separation of Crotalus viridis into seven distinct species instead of how others have listed them. However, although this order is a personal opinion it is backed up by a lot of systematists and none of these ideas are from out of my own head. All of these taxonomic changes/revisions have been recently published in the literature, I am just choosing which ones I wish to accept since systematists haven't fully decided yet either.
NOTE: If the name is underlined it is represented either on or off exhibit at the Wildlife Discovery Center's "Grass Is Rattling" exhibit hall.
- Crotalus abyssus, Grand Canyon Rattlesnake
- Crotalus adamanteus, Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake
- Crotalus aquilus, Quertaran Blotched Rattlesnake / Queretaro Dusky Rattlesnake
- Crotalus atrox, Western Diamondback Rattlesnake
- Crotalus basilicus, Mexican West-Coast Rattlesnake
- Crotalus catalinensis, Santa Catalina Island Rattlesnake
- Crotalus cerastes cerastes, Mojave Desert Sidewinder
- Crotalus cerestes cercobombus, Sonoran Desert Sidewinder
- Crotalus cerestes laterorepens, Colorado Desert Sidewinder
- Crotalus cerberus, Arizona Black Rattlesnake
- Crotalus concolor, Midget Faded Rattlesnake
- Crotalus durissus cascavella, Northeastern Brazilian Rattlesnake
- Crotalus durissus collilineatus, Central Brazilian Rattlesnake
- Crotalus durissus culminatus, Northwestern Neotropical Rattlesnake
- Crotalus durissus cumanensis, Venezuelan Rattlesnake
- Crotalus durissus dryinus, Guianian Rattlesnake
- Crotalus durissus durissus, Neotropical Rattlesnake
- Crotalus durissus marajoensis, Marajoan Rattlesnake
- Crotalus durissus neoleonensis, Nuevo Leon Neotropical Rattlesnake
- Crotalus durissus ruruima, Mount Roraima Rattlesnake
- Crotalus durissus terrificus, South American Rattlesnake
- Crotalus durissus totonacus, Totonacan Rattlesnake
- Crotalus durissus trigonicus, Rupunini Rattlesnake
- Crotalus durissus tzabcan, Yucatan Neotropical Rattlesnake
- Crotalus enyo cerralvensis, Cerralvo Island Rattlesnake
- Crotalus enyo enyo, Baja California Rattlesnake
- Crotalus enyo furvus, Rosario Rattlesnake
- Crotalus exsul, Cedros Island Diamond Rattlesnake
- Crotalus helleri caliginis, Coronado Island Rattlesnake
- Crotalus helleri helleri, Southern Pacific Rattlesnake
- Crotalus horridus atricaudatus, Canebrake Rattlesnake
Currently Crotalus horridus (timber rattlesnake) is only considered monotypic and no subspecies are academically recognized due to mtDNA analysis. However, since there are obvious physical and geographic differences in this species I have decided to list them as separate. There is apparently a larger difference in their genetic diversity found between the east and west than north and south. My solution would be to make more than two subspecies of horridus but that is mainly because I am a major cladistics splitter instead of lumper.
- Crotalus intermedius gloyd, Oaxacan Small-Headed Rattlesnake
- Crotalus intermedius intermedius, Totalcan Small-Headed Rattlesnake
- Crotalus Intermedius omiltemanus, Omilteman Small-Headed Rattlesnake
- Crotalus lannomi, Autlan Rattlesnake
- Crotalus lepidus castenaeus, Nuevo Leon Rock Rattlesnake
- Crotalus lepidus klauberi, Banded Rock Rattlesnake
- Crotalus lepidus lepidus, Mottled Rock Rattlesnake
- Crotalus lepidus maculosus, Durango Rock Rattlesnake
- Crotalus lepidus morulus, Tamaulipan Rock Rattlesnake
- Crotalus lutosus, Great Basin Rattlesnake
- Crotalus mitchelli angelensis, Angel de la Guarda Island Speckled Rattlesnake
- Crotalus mitchelli mitchelli, San Lucan Speckled Rattlesnake
- Crotalus mitchelli muertensis, El Muerto Island Rattlesnake
- Crotalus mitchelli pyrrhus, Southwestern Speckled Rattlesnake
- Crotalus mitchelli stephensi, Panamint Rattlesnake
- Crotalus molossus estenbanensis, San Esteban Island Blacktail Rattlesnake
- Crotalus molossus molossus, Northern Blacktail Rattlesnake
- Crotalus molossus nigrescens, Mexican Blacktail Rattlesnake
- Crotalus molossus oaxacus, Oaxacan Blacktail Rattlesnake
- Crotalus oreganus, Northern Pacific Rattlesnake
- Crotalus pifanorum, Neither English nor Spanish common name
- Crotalus polystictus, Mexican Lance-Head Rattlesnake
- Crotalus pricei miquihuanus, Eastern Twin-Spotted Rattlesnake
- Crotalus pricei pricei, Western Twin-Spotted Rattlesnake
- Crotalus pusillus, Tancitaran Dusky Rattlesnake
- Crotalus ruber elegans
- Crotalus ruber monserratensis
- Crotalus ruber lorenzoensis, San Lorenzo Island Diamond Rattlesnake
- Crotalus ruber lucasensis, San Lucan Island Diamond Rattlesnake
- Crotalus ruber ruber, Red Diamond Rattlesnake
- Crotalus scutulatus salvini, Humantlan Rattlesnake
- Crotalus scutulatus scutulatus, Mojave Rattlesnake
- Crotalus stejnegeri, Long-Tailed Rattlesnake
- Crotalus tancitarensis
- Crotalus tigris, Tiger Rattlesnake
- Crotalus tortugensis, Tortuga Island Diamond Rattlesnake
- Crotalus transversus, Cross-Banded Mountain Rattlesnake
- Crotalus triseriatus armstrongi, Mexican Dusky Rattlesnake
- Crotalus triseriatus triseriatus, Central Plateau Dusky Rattlesnake
- Crotalus unicolor, Aruba Island Rattlesnake
Crotalus unicolor has recently been reclassified as being part of the durissus species. I'd like to wait a while to see if the change sticks before recognizing it. It is considered endangered and I think by making it a subspecies it would allow for the possibility of less protection than if it had full species statis.
- Crotalus vegrandis, Uracoan Rattlesnake
- Crotalus viridis nuntius, Hopi Rattlesnake
- Crotalus viridis viridis, Prairie Rattlesnake
The species of viridis has recently been reclassified. Previously there were 9 subspecies of viridis: abyssus, caliginis, cerberus, concolor, helleri, lutosus, nuntius, oreganus, and viridis. Now it has been changed into 7 separate species: Crotalus abyssus, cerberus, concolor, helleri, lutosus, oreganus, and viridis. This however, leaves nuntius (Hopi rattlesnake) and caliginis (Coronado Island rattlesnake) as subspecies of one of the others. To my knowledge nuntius has remained a subspecies of viridis while caliginis is now a subspecies of helleri.
- Crotalus williardi amabilis, Sierra del Nido Ridgenose Rattlesnake
- Crotalus williardi meridionialis, Southern Ridgenose Rattlesnake
- Crotalus williardi obscurus, New Mexican Ridgenose
Rattlesnake - Crotlaus williardi silus, Western Chihuahuan Ridgenose Rattlesnake
- Crotalus williardi williardi, Arizona Ridgenose Rattlesnake
- Sistrurus catenatus catenatus, Eastern Massasauga
- Sistrurus catenatus edwardsii, Desert-Grassland Massasauga
- Sistrurus catenatus tergeminus, Western Massasuaga
- Sistrurus miliarius barbouri, Dusky Pigmy Rattlesnake
- Sistrurus miliarius miliarius, Carolina Pigmy Rattlesnake
- Sistrurus miliarius streckeri, Western Pigmy Rattlesnake
- Crotalus ravus brunneus, Oaxacan Pigmy Rattlesnake
- Crotalus ravus exiguus, Guerreran Pigmy Rattlesnake
- Crotalus ravus ravus, Central Plateau Pigmy Rattlesnake
Refernces
Alvardo-Diaz, J., & J.A. Campbell. 2004. A new montane rattlesnake (Viperidae) from Michoacan, Mexico. Herpetologica 60(2): 281-286.
Campbell, Jonathan A., and William W. Lamar. 2004. The Venomous Reptiles of the Western Hemisphere. Vol. 2.
Douglas, Michael E., Marlis R. Douglas, Gordon W. Schuett, Louis W. Porras, and Andrew T. Holycross. 2002. Phylogeography of the Western Rattlesnake (Crotalus viridis) Complex, with Emphasis on the Colorado Plateau. Biology of the Viper. Ed. Gordon W. Schuett, Mats Hoggren, Michael E. Douglas, and Harry W. Greene. pgs. 11-50.
Rubio, Manny. 1998. Rattlesnake: Portrait of a Predator.
