Western pygmy rattlesnake
Sistrurus miliarius streckeri
Sistrurus miliarius streckeri
VENOMOUS
Description:
This is the smallest of the Oklahoma rattlesnakes, hence the name "pygmy." It has a gray to pinkish body with dark blotches down its back and one to three rows of spots along each side. Most pygmys have a faint reddish-brown stripe running along the center of their back. The rattle is very small, as compared with other rattlesnake species, and often isn't audible unless heard at close range. This snake has keeled scales, a vertical pupil (not round), and an obvious heat-sensing pit between the eye and nostril.
Size:
Adults 15 - 24 inches (38 - 61 cm)
Prey:
Mice, lizards, small snakes, and sometimes small insects
Reproduction:
Mates in spring or fall and females typically give birth in late summer to 2 - 30 young. Babies are about 4 - 7 inches (10 - 18 cm) long.
Habitat:
Mixed pine-hardwood forests, borders of cypress ponds, and near lakes and marshes
Other Information:
Also known as a "ground rattler" in some parts of the state.
Why doesn't the range map show this species in my county?
Description:
This is the smallest of the Oklahoma rattlesnakes, hence the name "pygmy." It has a gray to pinkish body with dark blotches down its back and one to three rows of spots along each side. Most pygmys have a faint reddish-brown stripe running along the center of their back. The rattle is very small, as compared with other rattlesnake species, and often isn't audible unless heard at close range. This snake has keeled scales, a vertical pupil (not round), and an obvious heat-sensing pit between the eye and nostril.
Size:
Adults 15 - 24 inches (38 - 61 cm)
Prey:
Mice, lizards, small snakes, and sometimes small insects
Reproduction:
Mates in spring or fall and females typically give birth in late summer to 2 - 30 young. Babies are about 4 - 7 inches (10 - 18 cm) long.
Habitat:
Mixed pine-hardwood forests, borders of cypress ponds, and near lakes and marshes
Other Information:
Also known as a "ground rattler" in some parts of the state.
Why doesn't the range map show this species in my county?
