Western Diamondback Rattlesnake Facts: What Kind of Venom It Has and How Poisonous Is It?

The Western diamondback rattlesnake (Crotalus atrox) is a venomous snake. Check out the article to learn more about the reptile.

Identifying Features

The Western diamondback rattlesnake is a heavy-bodied snake with a triangular-shaped head. It has two dark diagonal lines on each side of its face running from its eyes to its jaws with dark diamond-shaped patterns along its back, according to Desert Museum.

Their color could range from brown to gray to pinkish, depending on the shade of their habitat.

This species also has long, tubular fangs characteristic of venomous snakes. Its tail is circled by alternating black and white bands, similar to a raccoon's. It also has a "rattle" on the end of its tail that it uses to warn aggressors, Nature Mapping Foundation added.

Adults can grow up to 7 feet in length. However, most are only 4 feet long. It's infrequent to find western diamondback rattlesnakes that are 5 feet long, and those that are 6 feet are rare. The longest western diamondback rattlesnake documented was 7 feet long.

Western diamondbacks are pit vipers. They have a heating sense pit behind each nostril to detect temperature differences that are only a degree apart. The heat given off by an animal reportedly determines if they are a predator or prey.

They prey on mice, rats, rabbits, gophers, ground-dwelling birds, lizards, and other small animals. Meanwhile, deer, antelope, cows, and horses may trample or stomp them. Eagles, hawks, roadrunners, kingsnakes, coyotes, bobcats, or foxes are their predators.

Western diamondback rattlesnakes can live up to over 20 years. You can determine its age by counting its rattles. They add a rattle with each molt (between two to three times a year) and lose older rattles.

How Poisonous Is the Western Diamondback?

Western diamondback rattlesnakes are venomous. They use their venom to paralyze their prey. However, Branson's Wild World says they are far less toxic than other rattlesnakes.

The eastern diamondback rattlesnake is the largest species in the world and the most venomous snake in North America, according to the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources.

However, despite that, it still requires medical attention when a western diamondback rattlesnake bites one because it can cause pain, bleeding, severe swelling, bruising, blistering, necrosis, headaches, nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, diarrhea, dizziness, and convulsions. The mortality rate of untreated bites is 10 to 20%, per Branson's Wild World.

What Kind of Venom Is Western Diamondback?

Western diamondbacks have the so-called "hemotoxic" venom, which damages the blood. However, their venoms also contain chemicals that target all sorts of tissues besides blood, Science Line reported.

Rattlesnake venom contains a whole cocktail of damaging chemicals that primarily targets proteins and enzymes. Viper venom components cause immediate blood clotting in body parts, often inside the kidney, which can be fatal.

Another set of chemicals known as hemorrhagins could damage the inside walls of arteries and veins, leading to massive, uncontrolled bleeding in tissues. It could also disrupt the blood's delivery of oxygen to tissues, and without oxygen, the tissues will start to die.

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