western rattlesnake (Phoenix Zoo - Arizona Trail)

western rattlesnake

Crotalus viridis

Summary ⁵

Crotalus viridis is a venomous pit viper species native to the western United States, southwestern Canada, and northern Mexico. Currently, two subspecies are recognized, including the nominate subspecies described here.

Range description ⁶

As defined by Crother et al. (2003), following congruence of Pook et al. (2000), Ashton and de Queiroz (2001), and Douglas et al. (2002), this species encompasses only the ranges of subspecies viridis and nuntius of traditionally defined C. viridis. In other words, the range extends from southern Alberta and southern Saskatchewan in Canada, to the northern fringe of northern central Mexico, west to Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, and extreme eastern Arizona, east to the Dakotas, western Iowa, Nebraska, central Kansas, central Oklahoma, and western and central Texas in the United States (Stebbins 2003, Campbell and Lamar 2004). The ranges and relationships of Crotalus oreganus and Crotalus viridis in the Four Corners region and in northwestern Colorado need further clarification (Hammerson 1999; Brennan and Holycross, 2004). Its elevational range extends from about 100 m asl near the Rio Grande (Campbell and Lamar 2004) to at least 2,895 m asl (9,500 feet) in Colorado (Hammerson 1999).

Iucn red list assessment ⁷

Red List Category

Least Concern

Red List Criteria

Version

3.1

Year Assessed

2007

Assessor/s

Frost, D.R., Hammerson, G.A. & Santos-Barrera, G.

Reviewer/s

Cox, N., Chanson, J.S. & Stuart, S.N. (Global Reptile Assessment Coordinating Team)

Contributor/s

Justification

Listed as Least Concern in view of its wide distribution, presumed large population, and because it is unlikely to be declining fast enough to qualify for listing in a more threatened category.

Fuentes y créditos

(c) J. N. Stuart, algunos derechos reservados (CC BY-NC-ND), http://www.flickr.com/photos/21786539@N03/2788539880
(c) Kenneth Bader, algunos derechos reservados (CC BY-NC), subido por Kenneth Bader
(c) John Sullivan, algunos derechos reservados (CC BY-NC), subido por John Sullivan
Stolz, Gary M., sin restricciones conocidas de derechos (dominio publico), https://www.biolib.cz/IMG/GAL/20801.jpg
(c) Wikipedia, algunos derechos reservados (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crotalus_viridis
(c) International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, algunos derechos reservados (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/28077769
(c) International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, algunos derechos reservados (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/28077768