Lower California Rattlesnake

About the Lower California Rattlesnake

Crotalus enyo, commonly known as the Baja California rattlesnake or Lower California rattlesnake, is a pit viper species native to the coast and islands of northwestern Mexico. Like all other pit vipers, it is venomous. Three subspecies are currently recognized, including the nominate subspecies described here.

The maximum reported length of this species is 89.8 cm (35.4 in) (Klauber, 1972). It is sexually dimorphic, with the males typically being larger than the females. The head is remarkably small and narrow, while the eyes are proportionately large.

In western Mexico in the north, it is found in the Baja California Peninsula from around Río San Telmo on the west coast and from opposite Isla Angel de la Guarda on the gulf coast, south to Cabo San Lucas. It is also found in the Gulf of California on the islands of San Marcos, Carmen, San José, San Francisco, Partida del Sur, Espírita Santo and Cerralvo. Off the Pacific coast, it is also found on the island of San Margarita. The type locality is "Cape San Lucas, Baja California Sur".

It prefers desert, but in the northwestern part of its range, it can be found in chaparral country... Wikipedia →