Snake fungal disease and habitat loss affect both species. Timber rattlesnakes have black chevron markings and reside in deciduous forests and hills. Wetter areas and thick grasses house canebrakes.
Timber/Canebrake Rattlesnake
The 5-foot eastern diamondback, an ambush predator with a diamond pattern, lives in gopher tortoise tunnels and rotting wood stumps and eats small animals including quail.
Eastern Diamondback
Western diamondbacks, the longest rattlesnake in the U.S., live in varied habitats, have a unique anti-predator display, and are threatened by habitat destruction and roundups, which reduce their population.
Western Diamondback
Mojave rattlesnakes, commonly confused for western diamondbacks, feature tail bands and face stripes and neurotoxic or hemotoxic venom, causing major medical crises.
Mojave Rattlesnake
Five subspecies of western rattlesnakes live in varied settings and are prominent in the venomous pet trade due to their color variety. They live from Mexico to Canada and west of the Continental Divide.
Western Rattlesnakes
Pygmy rattlesnakes inhabit a variety of southeastern U.S. habitats and exhibit wide coloration variations, from orange to almost black, often found among logs, rocks, and open grass areas.
Pygmy Rattlesnakes
Due to habitat erosion, farming, and snake fungal disease, the eastern massasauga, which lives in shallow marshes in the Midwest and Ontario, is declining. One timber rattlesnake hybrid has been found.
Eastern Massasauga
A little desert rattlesnake in the American southwest, the sidewinder employs "sidewinding" to avoid heat, has a spinal ridge and horn-like scales, and hides itself in sand to ambush food.
Sidewinder