Rattlesnakes in Aguanga, California

Aguanga, California, is a small populated area in southwest Riverside County. The natural habitats surrounding the area fall into the home range of three of California's 10 species and subspecies of rattlesnakes. The southwestern speckled, southern pacific and red diamond rattlesnakes are all likely to be found in the rural areas in and around the community and should be watched for and avoided.

  1. Descriptions

    • All three rattlesnakes found near Aguanga are heavy-bodied snakes. The southwestern speckled rattler grows to 23 to 52 inches in length and ranges from yellowish to pinkish in color with darker cross bands. Coloration varies from region to region in order to assist camouflage. The southern pacific rattler grows from 30 to 44 inches in length and tends to be more brown in color with darker spots. The red diamond rattlesnake grows from 30 to 65 inches in length and tends to be pinkish to reddish in color. The snake has darker, diamond-shaped markings running along the length of its body.

    Habitats and Ranges

    • The southwestern speckled rattler lives throughout much of southern California and as far north as the Mojave river. It is most common in dry, rocky shrub land habitats between sea level and 8,000 feet. The southern Pacific variety lives in southwest California along the coastal regions and east to the Central Valley. It is an adaptable species that can live in woodland, rocky hillside and desert habitats. The red diamond rattler lives in the southwestern area of the state. Like the southern Pacific variety, it can live in a range of habitats including farmland, woodland, deserts and grasslands.

    Diet

    • All three species are ambush predators, waiting coiled for prey to wander by before they strike and bite. The venom from each is potent and they are injected through hollow retractable fangs. As pit vipers, all three use specialized pits at the front of the head to pick up the body heat of prey animals. All of them are large snakes that can eat a range of small mammals, reptiles and birds. California's ground squirrels are immune to rattlesnake venom and will fight off attacks aggressively.

    Life Cycle

    • All three species found in the area are nocturnal and are most active at dusk and dawn. The snakes live solitary lives and only come together to breed, sometimes crossbreeding with other rattlesnake species. Late summer to fall is the average mating season for all three species. Male rattlers fight for the right to mate with females so the largest and strongest snakes get to breed. All three species hatch their eggs internally and give birth to live young, which are capable of delivering dangerous bites from birth.