• restricted to short-grass paririe region of the province.

Brief Description

• only member of the Family Viperidae in the province; medium-sized and somewhat heavy-bodied; facial pits behind and below nostrils; vertical pupil; tail short with rattle at distal end; venomous, but rarely fatal to humans.

Habitat

• coulees and river valleys and associated uplands; semi-arid short- and mixed-grass prairie habitats.

Feeding

• predatory; primarily mammals, also birds, reptiles, and amphibians.

Reproduction

• mating in spring following emergence from communal hibernacula; viviparous; usually 4-12 young born in August.

Status in Alberta

• BLUE LIST

• relatively common in localized areas in short-grass prairie regions; needs protection of critical habitats such as hibernacula and den sites

Other Internet Resources

• Crotalus viidis : Reptiles and Amphibians of North Dakota, Northern Prairie Science Center, Jamestown, ND, USA

• Prairie Rattlesnake: Kingsville Serpentarium, Texas A & M University

• American International Rattlesnake Museum, Albuquerque, NM, USA

References

• Anonymous. 1996. The status of Alberta wildlife. Wildlife Management Division Report. Alberta Environmental Protection, Govertment of Alberta.

• Russell, A. P., and A. M. Bauer. in press. The Amphibians and Reptiles of Alberta: A Field Guide and Primer of Boreal Herpetology. University of Calgary Press. 2nd Edition.