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Northern Pacific Rattlenake (Crotalus oreganus oreganus)
combat ritual between two male Northern Pacific Rattlenakes. San Mateo County, California. Photograph by Dawn Endico. Some rights reserved. (view image details)
NORTHERN PACIFIC RATTLENAKE FACTS
DescriptionThe Northern Pacific Rattlesnake is typically dark brown, dark gray (sometimes black or pale yellow,) overlaid with large dark blotches with uneven white edges on the back. The blotches are wider than the spaces between. There are blotches on the sides that are usually darker than blotches on the back. The first rings of the tail are about the same color as the last body blotches, and become darker towards the tail, with the last two at the base of the tail usually black. The belly is pale yellow with brown spots. There is a large dark brown blotch on the snout with pale border behind it. There is a dark brown stripe behind the eye with a white border from the eye to the angle of the jaw. The iris may be bronze, gold, tan, pink or gray. Other Names Western Rattlesnake Size 100cm (maximum recorded 162cm) Environment rocky slopes, rocky outcrops, rocky areas in grasslands, mixed woodlands, montane forests Food birds, lizards, snakes, frogs, insects, and small mammals Breeding Live-bearing with young born August to October. Range The Northern Pacific Rattlesnake is found in south-central British Columbia in Canada, Washington east of the Cascade Mountains, western Idaho, northern and western Oregon, and California west of the Sierra Nevada. Classification
Relatives in same Genus Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake (C. adamanteus) Western Diamondback Rattlesnake (C. atrox) Sidewinder (C. cerastes) Baja California Rattlesnake (C. enyo) Timber Rattlesnake (C. horridus) Banded Rock Rattlesnake (C. lepidus klauberi) Rock Rattlesnake (C. lepidus lepidus) Southwestern Speckled Rattlesnake (C. mitchellii pyrrhus) Blacktail Rattlesnake (C. molossus molossus) Southern Pacific Rattlesnake (C. oreganus helleri) Great Basin Rattlesnake (C. oreganus lutosus) Twin-spotted Rattlesnake (C. pricei) Red Diamond Rattlesnake (C. ruber) Mojave Rattlesnake (C. scutulatus) Tiger Rattlesnake (C. tigris) Hopi Rattlesnake (C. viridis nuntius) Arizona Ridgenose Rattlesnake (C. willardi willardi) Home | Mammals | Reptiles | Birds | Insects | Privacy Policy | Disclaimer | Contact Us |