Information on Red Diamondback Rattlesnake

The red diamond rattlesnake, also known as the red diamondback, is a large, venomous snake that lives in an area ranging from Southern California to the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula in Mexico. It takes its name from its distinctive coloring and the pattern along its back.

  1. Name

    • According to the San Diego Natural History Museum, the red diamond rattlesnake's scientific name, Crotalus exsul, comes from the Greek word for a rattle and the Latin word for exile. It was called an "exile" because the holotype specimen, the specimen used when the species was first described scientifically, was found on Isla Cedros, an island off the coast of Baja California.

      The snake was once also called Crotalus ruber, with ruber referring to its red color. However, when scientists learned that the Crotalus exsul and Crotalus ruber were the same animal, they dropped the name Croalus ruber.

    Description

    • The red diamond rattlesnake has a red color that varies to shades of pink and tan, though young snakes start with a gray color before gaining their reddish tint. Diamond-shaped blotches extend down the adult snake's back to a tail adorned with black and white rings.

      The longest red diamond rattlesnake recorded measured 5 feet, 5 inches. According to the California Living Museum, adults average 2 to 4-½ feet long, though the San Diego Natural History Museum says adults are more likely to top out at 3-½ feet.

      "The Red Diamond Rattlesnake's size and beauty make it a very impressive animal, especially when seen in the wild," the San Diego Natural History Museum says.

    Homebodies

    • According to an October 2002 story in National Geographic Today, researchers at the University of California at San Diego began tracking red diamond rattlesnakes in 1990 using implanted radio transmitters. Data collected over several years showed that the snakes generally travel no more than a few miles in a lifetime and that they maintain a mental map of their surroundings that helps them return to the same bush or rock---the snake's preferred habitat.

      In addition, the study showed that the snakes hole up communal dens during the winter, with as many as seven males and females sharing a den. During this period between November and March, the rattlesnakes don't hunt and rarely emerge from their den.

    Life and Diet

    • Once they emerge from the dens, the red diamond rattlesnakes begin a breeding season that runs through April. Five months later, the females give birth to as many as 20 babies measuring 11 to 14 inches in length.

      The snake's diet consists of rodents such as rats and ground squirrels, rabbits and birds. During the hot summer months, they hunt mostly at night. They have been known to live as long as 19 years in captivity.

    Disposition

    • The California Living Museum says, "This rattlesnake normally displays a non-aggressive demeanor," while the San Diego Natural History Museum notes that "This particular rattlesnake is noted for its mellow disposition, but individuals vary." The U.S. Geological Survey's Western Ecological Research Center is more cautious, saying of the red diamond rattlesnake: "venomous; don't handle or use extreme caution."

    Conservation

    • The red diamond rattlesnake is a Federal Special Concern species and a California Special Concern species, but the San Diego Natural History Museum says there have been no proposals to help conserve the red diamond rattlesnake. It blames "widespread negative attitudes towards snakes" for the lack of interest.