Southwestern Speckled Rattlesnake

Southwestern Speckled Rattlesnake

Crotalus pyrrhus

Silhouette: Bill Bouton (source photo) & T. Michael Keesey (vectorization) · PhyloPic

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible
at Joshua Tree National Park
394 Verified sightings at Joshua Tree National Park From 2019 to 2026
394 Verified sightings across 1 park From 2019 to 2026
May Best month highest sighting rate
🌅 Crepuscular When it's spotted at dawn and dusk

About the Southwestern Speckled Rattlesnake

Common names: southwestern speckled rattlesnake, Mitchell's rattlesnake, more. Crotalus pyrrhus is a venomous pitviper species found in the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico. A medium-sized snake, it is found mostly in rocky country, active at night and feeding on small mammals. The coloration is variable and depends on the color of the rocks and soil of the habitat.

Adults grow to an average length of 3 feet (91 cm), but may sometimes exceed 4 feet (120 cm). The color pattern is variable, depending on the color of the rocks and soil of the habitat. The snake's ground color may be pink, brown, gray, yellow or nearly white, and speckled with black and white. The pattern (if present) may consist of rhombs, bands or blotches. The tail is ringed.

Southwestern speckled rattlesnake, bleached rattlesnake, Mitchell's rattlesnake, pale rattler, pallid rattlesnake, red rattlesnake, speckled rattlesnake, white rattlesnake. The species may also be referred to colloquially by locality phenotypic traits and an abbreviation of "speckled", to "speck" by snake enthusiasts and in the venomous snake commercial trade. Common versions include blue speck... Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Joshua Tree National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~30%

More parks will be added in future updates.

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Southwestern Speckled Rattlesnake in Joshua Tree National Park?

About 30% of wildlife watchers report a Southwestern Speckled Rattlesnake sighting in Joshua Tree National Park, based on 394 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Southwestern Speckled Rattlesnake in Joshua Tree National Park?

May has the highest sighting rate for Southwestern Speckled Rattlesnake in Joshua Tree National Park in our monthly data.

← Back to Joshua Tree National Park