Home    |     Image Library    |     Blog    |     Purchasing    |     Contact    |     About    |     Search

Image Library > Additional Animals > Snakes >

Southwest speckled rattlesnake (Crotalus mitchellii pyrrhus)

The southwest speckled rattlesnake (Crotalus mitchellii pyrrhus) is a venomous pit viper with a preference to rocky habitats. It is the only C. mitchelli subspecies found in California.


Southwest speckled rattlesnake (Crotalus mitchellii pyrrhus), lateral view of the entire snake. Joshua Tree National Park, California.
ANI0074


Southwest speckled rattlesnake (Crotalus mitchellii pyrrhus), ground level view of the snake in the act of tongue flicking. Although it has nostrils, this pit viper can acquire a better sense of its surroundings by "smelling" with its forked tongue. The tongue collects chemical particles in the air and then transfers them to its Jacobson's organ (or vomeronasal organ) for analysis. Joshua Tree National Park, California.
ANI0075


Southwest speckled rattlesnake (Crotalus mitchellii pyrrhus), alternate view of the rattler while tongue flicking. Joshua Tree National Park, California.
ANI0076


Southwest speckled rattlesnake (Crotalus mitchellii pyrrhus), coiled and ready to strike. Joshua Tree National Park, California.
ANI0077

Next Animal: Western rattlesnake (Crotalus viridis)



Interested in buying a print or licensing a picture? Click on the purchasing link for more information or contact us with any questions you may have. Thanks for looking!

Back To Top

All images copyright Timothy Boomer. All rights reserved worldwide.