Santa Catalina Island Rattlesnake

The Santa Catalina Island Rattlesnake is classified as Critically Endangered (CR), facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild.

The Santa Catalina Island Rattlesnake is a medium sized, slender snake, growing to a little over 2 feet in length. This particular rattler has two distinct color variations; the commonly seen one is light brown or reddish brown with darker diamond shaped blotches. More

This snake is called the Santa Catalina Island rattlesnake in reference to its habitat. The rattlesnake is native to the Santa Catalina Islands, which are off the western coast of Mexico in the Gulf of California. More

The Santa Catalina Island rattlesnake occurs mainly in these arroyos, where there is abundant vegetation (1) (2), but may also sometimes be found beneath roots and rocks on the hillsides, or in open areas of sandy soils (1). More

While the Santa Catalina Island rattlesnake is a largely nocturnal snake (1), this can vary depending on the time of the year. More

• The Santa Catalina Island rattlesnake Crotalus catalinensis has no rattle! It’s found only on Santa Catalina Island, off the coast of southern Baja California, Mexico. This snake climbs trees and sneaks up on its bird prey, which is easier without a noisy rattle. More

The Santa Catalina Island Rattlesnake can only be found on Isla Santa Catalina located in the Gulf of California of the southern portion of the Baja California peninsula. The island's habitat is composed of Gulf Coast Desert plants. More

* The Santa Catalina Island Rattlesnake is a rattleless rattlesnake; it lacks the usual rattle segments. More

Common names

Catalina Island Rattlesnake in English - English
Santa Catalina Island Rattlesnake in English - English
Santa-Catalina-Klapperschlange in German - Deutsch
Víbora-cascabel muda in Spanish - español