Western diamondback rattlesnake
The western diamondback rattlesnake or Texas diamond-back is a rattlesnake species and member of the viper family, found in the southwestern United States and Mexico. Like all other rattlesnakes and all other vipers, it is venomous. It is likely responsible for the majority of snakebite fatalities in northern Mexico and the greatest number of snakebites in the U.S. No subspecies are currently recognized.
Western diamondback rattlesnake
The button rattle of a juvenile
Closeup of the head at the Zoological Garden, Ulm, Germany
A skeleton at the Museum of Osteology, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Rattlesnakes are venomous snakes that form the genera Crotalus and Sistrurus of the subfamily Crotalinae. All rattlesnakes are vipers. Rattlesnakes are predators that live in a wide array of habitats, hunting small animals such as birds and rodents.
Rattlesnake
Western diamondback rattlesnake (Crotalus atrox), responsible for the majority of venomous snakebites in North America, coiled in defensive posture with rattle erect
1. Trigeminal nerve extending into the heat-sensing pit 2. Trigeminal nerve originating in the brain 3. Heat-sensing pit
Rattlesnake skull