The Pygmy Rattlesnake is a venomous Pit Viper that is native to the South Eastern United States. There are currently 3 recognised sub-species, including the nominate sub-species.
While the Pygmy Rattlesnake is the most commonly used name for this species, they are sometimes referred to as the Eastern Pygmy Rattlesnake, the Ground Rattlesnake, the Leaf Rattler or the Death Rattler.
Taxonomy
The scientific name for the Pygmy Rattlesnake is Sistrurus miliarius. The Sistrurus genus contains two species of Rattlesnake, with the other being the Massasauga Rattlesnake.
The snakes in the Sistrurus genus are venomous Pit Vipers that are only found in North America, ranging from Southern Canada to Texas.
The Name Sistrurus comes from a Greek word that translates to Tail Rattler, referring to the distinctive Rattle on the end of these snake’s tail.
There are currently around 50 different recognised species of Rattlesnakes. The exact number is constantly changing as sub-species are getting reclassified to full species level and vice versa.
Some of the more common species of Rattlesnake include the Western Diamondback Rattlesnake, Timber Rattlesnake, Prairie Rattlesnake and the Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake.
Most species of Rattlesnake belong to the genus Crotalus. The Pygmy Rattlesnake and Massasauga Rattlesnake were originally classified under this genus until they were moved to Sistrurus.
Pygmy Rattlesnake Description
As its name suggests, the Pygmy Rattlesnake is a very small species of Rattlesnake that generally doesn’t grow any larger than 2 feet in length. The average size for these snakes is 14-22 inches.
They have a very small rattle which can be difficult to hear. This means you won’t have the same warning signs if you accidently get too close to one of these snakes.
One of the features that separate the Sistrurus species from the Crotalus Rattlesnakes is the number of scales on their head. This species has 9 large head scales while the Crotalus species generally have a large number of small scales.
Similar to a Boa Constrictor, they have a dark band that runs from their eye towards the back of their head. They also have dark spots that run along the length of their back.
They often have a broken dorsal stripe that runs the length of their back. This is usually broken so it doesn’t overlap with the spotting of the snake. This stripe can vary from dark brown to red or orange.
The Pygmy Rattlesnake can vary greatly in appearance. The different sub-species can appear different while there can also be variety between different localities of this snake.
They can be grey, tan, light brown, orange, red or even lavender in color. The dusky pigmy sub-species can range in color from a bluish grey to almost black.
Natural Habitat and Distribution
The Pygmy Rattlesnake is native to the South-Eastern United States. In the East, their range extends from the Southern half of North Carolina, right down to the bottom of the Florida Peninsula.
To the West, their range extends into the Eastern regions of Texas and Oklahoma. Their range may extend as far as Houston and Dallas but isn’t believed to reach Austin.
The Pygmy Rattlesnake will spend most of the time on the ground where they are well hidden amongst the leaf litter. They are often encountered in the late evenings as they cross roads or soak up the last of the suns heat.
Pygmy Rattlesnake Diet
The Pygmy Rattlesnake is an ambush predator. This means that it will sit and wait for prey to unknowingly come within striking distance as opposed to actively hunting for food.
They are expert ambush predators and are very difficult to spot amongst the leaf litter as they wait motionless for prey to pass by. They are opportunistic feeders and will eat a wide variety of prey.
The bulk of a Pygmy Rattlesnake diet is made up of lizards and frogs. However, they will also eat rodents, small mammals and insects such as caterpillars when the opportunity presents itself.
As their prey’s primary food source is insects, they lure them in by wiggling their tail in an attempt to trick a lizard or frog into thinking that their tail is an insect.
As the lizard or frog gets closer to see if it has an easy meal, the Pygmy Rattlesnake strikes at the unexpecting prey and injects it with venom.
Pygmy Rattlesnake Venom
As the Pygmy Rattlesnake is very small, they are unable to produce a large amount of venom as they also have small venom glands. It is not believed to be able to kill s fully grown human.
However, that doesn’t mean that a bite from one if these snakes isn’t dangerous. A serious bite may result in a prolonged hospital visit. This is often the case when children are bitten.