Dayanira Paniagua, PhD

^{Photo by Jerry Schudda}

Black-tailed Rattlesnake – Crotalus molossus

A large bodied rattlesnake with green-brown to yellow-brown coloration and an occasionally faintly banded black tail. This rattlesnake is considered to be a habitat generalist that tends to be found more in rocky and mountainous terrain. Like most rattlesnakes in the Sonoran Desert, it can be found under vegetation or boulders during the day and is more active after the sun begins to set.

Black-tailed Rattlesnake bites result in similar complications to the Western Diamondback Rattlesnake but occur less frequently. This could be due to a number of reasons but is likely related to the animal being found less frequently in human dominated areas.