Pigmy Rattlesnake

Breeding:
Female give birth to 2-32 (usually 4-8) young, 4-7 ½ “ long, July to September.

Habitat:
Everglade’s prairies, palmetto-pine flatwoods, sand hills, mixed pine-hardwood forest, borders of cypress ponds, and vicinity of lakes and marshes.

Range:
E. North Carolina to Florida Keys, west to e. Oklahoma and e. Texas.

Subspecies:
Carolina, pale gray to reddish above with prominent markings, 1 or 2 rows of spots on sides, usually 23 scale rows; e. North Carolina to s. South Carolina, west to n. Alabama. Dusky, dark gray above with heavy black stippling obscuring pattern, 3 rows of spots on sides, 23-25 scale rows; Extreme s. South Carolina to Florida Keys, west to se.
Mississippi Western, pale grayish-brown above with blotches forming crossbars, 2 rows of spots on sides, usually 21 scale rows; sw. Kentucky, wc. Alabama, Louisiana west to e. Oklahoma and e. Texas.

Called “ ground rattler” in parts of range. The tiny rattle makes a buzzing sound audible only for a few feet. Usually encountered in the summer, quietly sunning itself of crossing a road late in the day. Some are pugnacious and strike with little provocation, others appear lethargic. They eat lizards, small snakes, mice, and occasionally insects. Record longevity exceeds 15 years.