Crotalus lepidus klauberi
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 Banded rock rattlesnake, Crotalus lepidus klauberi
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| Crotalus lepidus klauberi Gloyd, 1936 |
The Banded Rock Rattlesnake (Crotalus lepidus klauberi) is a subspecies of venomous rock rattlesnake found in the southern United States, in Arizona, New Mexico and Texas, and into adjacent regions of northern Mexico. The epithet klauberi is in honor of the herpetologist, and rattlesnake expert Laurence M. Klauber.
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[edit] Description
Banded Rock Rattlesnakes are relatively small snakes, rarely growing beyond 24 inches in length. They are typically a light grey in color, with darker grey banding. The characters used to distinguish the various subspecies of Rock Rattlesnake have been a point of contention for many years. Various sources have used scale counts, number of bands, the stripe along the eye region, and the amount of mottling between bands as methods of distinguishing one subspecies from another. Unfortunately, in every case, research has shown that there are exceptions. The generally accepted method of determining a Banded Rock Rattlesnake from a Mottled Rock Rattlesnake, is the lack of mottling between the distinct darker bands, though that is not an entirely reliable method. It is not known whether subspecies intergrade in the areas where their ranges overlap.
[edit] Behavior
Rock Rattlesnakes are nocturnal, secretive snakes. They spend most of their time hiding in rock crevices. Often found in canyons, scree slopes, or man-made road cuts. Research has shown that Rock Rattlesnakes do not typically travel far, and often spend their entire lives on one particular slope or ridge. Their diet consists of primarily lizards and rodents. They are quite a shy species, often not even rattling if approached, instead relying on their camouflage to blend into the rocky habitat. Rock Rattlesnakes are ovoviviparous. Mating occurs in the summer months, the females over-winter gravid, and 2-8 young are born in the spring.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- Herps of Texas: Crotalus lepidus
- Species Crotalus lepidus at the Species2000 Database
- Klauber, Laurence M. 1997. Rattlesnakes : Their Habits, Life Histories, and Influence on Mankind 2nd Ed. University of California Press.
