Venom Week! Western Pygmy Rattlesnake!

This is the last post for venom week. I hope you enjoyed it! If you did or have a snake story post it as a comment. I would love to hear them! Have a great weekend!





I know that we have the Timber Rattler, and as if one isn't enough Tennessee is also home to the Western Pygmy Rattlesnake. Like we need a smaller version. If you can remember a few years back a guy had bought a plant for his garden at a walmart in Nashville, and when it put it in his car to take it home he was bitten by a Pygmy Rattlesnake that had somehow gotten into the soil of the potted plant! Creepy!! They can be in the most populated areas due to their small size, but they are VENOMOUS and can pack as much venom as a large rattlesnake.

The Western Pygmy Rattlesnake, often called the "Ground Rattler", is a heavy-bodied snake. The body of the snake is tan, grey, or even reddish. A red or rust colored stripe often runs along the spine. The snake is marked by dark brown or black blotches along its spine that appear to cover the red stripe. There is also one or two rows of dark brown or black blotches on its sides. There is a dark cheek-stripe on both sides of the head that starts at the eye and runs diagonally down and backwards to the jaw above the mouthline. The bottom of the cheek-stripe is often edged in white. The top of the head is often marked by two stripes that continue on to the neck. The end of the tail has a small rattle on it that is seldom louder than a buzzing insect, and is often not heard or even seen.

The Western Pygmy Rattlesnake is categorized as one of several primitive rattlesnakes in the genus Sistrurus. Unlike other rattlesnakes, these rattlesnakes have 9 enlarged scales on the top of their head.

The Western Pygmy Rattlesnake has elliptical pupils that look like cat's eyes and like all pit vipers, has a heat-sensing pit between the nostril and eye on each side of its head. The Western Pygmy Rattlesnake has a large, triangular head that is wider than the neck when viewed from above.




In the United States, the Western Pygmy Rattlesnake is found in Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Texas

This snake is tiny compared to other rattlesnakes, this is one of the smallest species of rattlesnakes in North America. The pygmy rattlesnake has a thin tail and a tiny rattle. Length averages from 15 to 20 inches (38-51 cm).

This species lives under rocks on cedar glades and is so secretive that few people encounter it. The sound of the vibrating rattle is a faint buzz like the sound of a grasshopper. Food includes small lizards, snakes, frogs and mice. Although the bite of this species is not fatal, a bite victim should seek immediate medical attention. The pygmy rattlesnake should be respected and left alone.