Crotalus ruber
Encyclopedia
- Common names: red diamond rattlesnake, red rattlesnake, red diamond snake, more.
Crotalus ruber is a venomous
Venomous snake
"Poisonous snake" redirects here. For true poisonous snakes, see Rhabdophis.Venomous snakes are snakes which have venom glands and specialized teeth for the injection of venom...
pitviper
Crotalinae
The Crotalinae, commonly known as "pit vipers" or crotaline snakes, are a subfamily of venomous vipers found in Asia and the Americas. They are distinguished by the presence of a heat-sensing pit organ located between the eye and the nostril on either side of the head...
species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
found in southwestern California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Baja California
Baja California
Baja California officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is both the northernmost and westernmost state of Mexico. Before becoming a state in 1953, the area was known as the North...
in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
. Three subspecies
Subspecies
Subspecies in biological classification, is either a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, ora taxonomic unit in that rank . A subspecies cannot be recognized in isolation: a species will either be recognized as having no subspecies at all or two or more, never just one...
are currently recognized, including the nominate subspecies described here.
Description
Common names
Red diamond rattlesnake, red rattlesnake, red diamond snake, red diamond-backed rattlesnake, red rattler, western diamond rattlesnake. The form found on Cedros IslandCedros Island
Cedros Island is a Mexican island in the Pacific Ocean....
, previously described as C. exsul, was referred to as the Cedros Island diamond rattlesnake, or Cedros Island rattlesnake.
Geographic range
Found in the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in southwestern California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
and southward through the Baja California
Baja California
Baja California officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is both the northernmost and westernmost state of Mexico. Before becoming a state in 1953, the area was known as the North...
peninsula, although not in the desert east of the Sierra de Juárez
Sierra de Juárez
Sierra de Juárez is a mountain range on the Baja California Peninsula, of Baja California, Mexico. It is part of the Peninsular Ranges. The Laguna Mountains of California lie to the north and the Sierra San Pedro Mártir lies to the south....
in northeastern Baja California. It also inhabits a number of islands in the Gulf of California
Gulf of California
The Gulf of California is a body of water that separates the Baja California Peninsula from the Mexican mainland...
, including Angel de la Guarda, Pond, San Lorenzo del Sur, San Marcos
San Marcos, Baja California Sur
San Marcos is an island located in the northern portion of Baja California Sur, México. It faces the town of Santa Rosalía on the Sea of Cortés near Isla Tortuga. The only town on the island is also named San Marcos. The island has a land area of 28.748 km² , the 18th-largest island in Mexico. Its...
, Danzante, Monserrate
Monserrate
Monserrate is a mountain that dominates the city center of Bogotá, the capital city of Colombia. It rises to above the sea level, where there is a church with a shrine, devoted to "El Señor Caído" .The hill is a pilgrim destination, as well as a tourist attraction...
and San José. Off the west coast of Baja California, it is found on Isla de Santa Margarita, which is off Baja California Sur
Baja California Sur
Baja California Sur , is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. Before becoming a state on October 8, 1974, the area was known as the South Territory of Baja California. It has an area of , or 3.57% of the land mass of Mexico and comprises...
, and (as C. exsul) on Isla de Cedros.
Originally, no type locality was given, although two have been proposed: "Dulzura, San Diego County, California
San Diego County, California
San Diego County is a large county located in the southwestern corner of the US state of California. Hence, San Diego County is also located in the southwestern corner of the 48 contiguous United States. Its county seat and largest city is San Diego. Its population was about 2,813,835 in the 2000...
", by Smith and Taylor (1950), and "vicinity of San Diego, California" by Schmidt (1953).
Conservation status
This species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCNWorld Conservation Union
The International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources is an international organization dedicated to finding "pragmatic solutions to our most pressing environment and development challenges." The organization publishes the IUCN Red List, compiling information from a network of...
Red List of Threatened Species
IUCN Red List
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species , founded in 1963, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biological species. The International Union for Conservation of Nature is the world's main authority on the conservation status of species...
(v3.1, 2001). Species are listed as such due to their wide distribution, presumed large population, or because it is unlikely to be declining fast enough to qualify for listing in a more threatened category. The population trend is down. Year assessed: 2007.
Habitat
Inhabits the cooler coastal zone, over the mountains and into the desert beyond. It prefers dense the chaparralChaparral
Chaparral is a shrubland or heathland plant community found primarily in the U.S. state of California and in the northern portion of the Baja California peninsula, Mexico...
country of the foothills, cactus patches and boulders covered with brush. Occurs from sea level to 1,500 m altitude.
Feeding
Feeds on rabbits, ground squirrels and birds. Wright and Wright (1957) also mention lizards and other snakes as being part of the diet of this species.Reproduction
Mating occurs between February and April. Females give birth in August, to between 3 and 20 young. Neonates are 30 to 34 cm in length.Venom
Wright and Wright (1957) state that this species is of a mild disposition and has one of the least potent rattlesnake venoms, saying that they believe it does not come into snakebite statistics as do its relatives C. atroxCrotalus atrox
Crotalus atrox, the "western diamondback rattlesnake", is a venomous rattlesnake species found in the United States and Mexico. It is likely responsible for the majority of snakebite fatalities in northern Mexico and the second greatest number in the USA after C. adamanteus. No subspecies are...
and C. adamanteus
Crotalus adamanteus
Crotalus adamanteus is a venomous pit viper species found in the southeastern United States. It is the heaviest venomous snake in the Americas and the largest rattlesnake. It featured prominently in the American Revolution, specifically as the symbol of what many consider to be the first flag of...
.
Brown (1973) lists an average venom yield of 364 mg (dried) and values of 4.0, 3.7 mg/kg IV
Intravenous therapy
Intravenous therapy or IV therapy is the infusion of liquid substances directly into a vein. The word intravenous simply means "within a vein". Therapies administered intravenously are often called specialty pharmaceuticals...
, 6.0, 7.0, 6.7 mg/kg IP and 21.2 mg/kg SC for toxicity.
However, Norris (2004) warns that this species has a relatively large venom yield containing high levels of proteolytic enzymes, especially in the adults. A publication he mentions by Rael et al. (1986) showed that there are at least three proteolytic hemorrhagins that degrade fibrinogen
Fibrinogen
Fibrinogen is a soluble plasma glycoprotein, synthesised by the liver, that is converted by thrombin into fibrin during blood coagulation. This is achieved through processes in the coagulation cascade that activate the zymogen prothrombin to the serine protease thrombin, which is responsible for...
and cause myonecrosis, but no Mojave toxin. On the other hand, three specimens from Mexico studied by Glen et al. (1983) did have Mojave toxin and lacked hemorrhagic activity.
Bite symptoms include massive tissue swelling, pain, ecchymosis
Ecchymosis
An ecchymosis is the medical term for a subcutaneous purpura larger than 1 centimeter or a hematoma, commonly called a bruise. It can be located in the skin or in a mucous membrane.-Presentation:...
, hemorrhagic blebs, and necrosis. Systemic symptoms may include nausea, vomiting, coagulopathy
Coagulopathy
Coagulopathy is a condition in which the blood’s ability to clot is impaired. This condition can cause prolonged or excessive bleeding, which may occur spontaneously or following an injury or medical and dental procedures.The normal clotting process depends on the interplay of various proteins in...
, clinical bleeding and hemolysis
Hemolysis
Hemolysis —from the Greek meaning "blood" and meaning a "loosing", "setting free" or "releasing"—is the rupturing of erythrocytes and the release of their contents into surrounding fluid...
.
Subspecies
| Subspecies | Taxon author | Common name | Geographic range |
|---|---|---|---|
| C. r. exsul | Garman, 1884 | Cedros Island diamond rattlesnake | Mexico Mexico The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of... , Cedros Island Cedros Island Cedros Island is a Mexican island in the Pacific Ocean.... . |
| C. r. lorenzoensis Crotalus ruber lorenzoensis Crotalus ruber lorenzoensis is a venomous pitviper subspecies endemic to San Lorenzo Sur Island, Mexico.-Description:This subspecies usually has no rattle, and has shranked in size compared to some of its other subspecies counterparts on the mainland.... |
Radcliff & Maslin, 1975 | San Lorenzo Island rattlesnake | Mexico, San Lorenzo Island in the Gulf of California Gulf of California The Gulf of California is a body of water that separates the Baja California Peninsula from the Mexican mainland... . |
| C. r. lucasensis Crotalus ruber lucasensis Crotalus ruber lucasensis is a venomous pitviper subspecies found in Mexico in the cape region of lower Baja California.-Description:Similarly to C. r. ruber, adult specimens commonly exceed 100 cm in length... |
Van Denburgh, 1920 | San Lucan diamond rattlesnake | Mexico, cape region of lower Baja California Baja California Baja California officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is both the northernmost and westernmost state of Mexico. Before becoming a state in 1953, the area was known as the North... . |
| C. r. ruber | Cope Edward Drinker Cope Edward Drinker Cope was an American paleontologist and comparative anatomist, as well as a noted herpetologist and ichthyologist. Born to a wealthy Quaker family, Cope distinguished himself as a child prodigy interested in science; he published his first scientific paper at the age of nineteen... , 1892 |
Red diamond rattlesnake | The United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... in southwestern California California California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area... and Mexico in Baja California, except for the cape region of lower Baja California. |
Taxonomy
A study by Murphy et al. (1995) concluded that there was not enough genetic and morphological diversity between C. exsul from Cedros IslandCedros Island
Cedros Island is a Mexican island in the Pacific Ocean....
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 that the island population be referred to as C. e. exsul and those from the mainland as C. e. ruber. In response to this, Smith et al. (1998) petitioned the ICZN
International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature
The International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature is an organization dedicated to "achieving stability and sense in the scientific naming of animals". Founded in 1895, it currently comprises 28 members from 20 countries, mainly practicing zoological taxonomists...
to validate ruber over exsul in the interest of nomenclatural stability. In 2000, the ICZN published Opinion 1960 in which they ruled that C. ruber should have precedence over C. exsul.
External links
- Crotalus exsul (=Crotalus ruber) Red Diamond Rattlesnake at San Diego Museum of Natural History. Accessed 7 February 2007.