Red Diamond Rattlesnake
Crotalus ruber
Silhouette: Bill Bouton (source photo) & T. Michael Keesey (vectorization) · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassSquamata
- FamilyViperidae (Vipers)
- GenusCrotalus (Rattlesnakes)
- SpeciesCrotalus ruber (Red Diamond Rattlesnake)
About the Red Diamond Rattlesnake
Common names: red diamond rattlesnake, red rattlesnake, red diamond snake, more Crotalus ruber is a venomous pit viper species found in southwestern California in the United States and Baja California in Mexico. Three subspecies are currently recognized, including the nominate subspecies described here.
Common names include: red diamond rattlesnake, red rattlesnake, red diamond snake, red diamond-backed rattlesnake, red rattler, and western diamond rattlesnake. The form found on Cedros Island, previously described as C. exsul, was referred to as the Cedros Island diamond rattlesnake, or Cedros Island rattlesnake.
Not enough genetic and morphological diversity exists between C. exsul from Cedros Island and C. ruber from the mainland to warrant the recognition of both species. Since C. exsul Garman (1884) has priority over C. ruber Cope (1892), they suggested the island population be referred to as C. e. exsul and those from the mainland as C. e. ruber. In response, Smith et al. (1998) petitioned the ICZN to validate ruber over exsul in the interest of nomenclatural stability. In 2000, the ICZN published Opinion 1960 in which they ruled C. ruber should... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Red Diamond Rattlesnake in Joshua Tree National Park
LIVEiNaturalist
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 2 | Bahía de Loreto National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 3 | Joshua Tree National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Cabo Pulmo National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Red Diamond Rattlesnake in Joshua Tree National Park?
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Red Diamond Rattlesnake sighting in Joshua Tree National Park, based on 33 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Red Diamond Rattlesnake in Joshua Tree National Park?
August has the highest sighting rate for Red Diamond Rattlesnake in Joshua Tree National Park in our monthly data.