Often found in loose sandy washes
arid desert flatlands, hard pan flats and rocky areas below 5,000 feet.

Throughout the world there are many snakes whose venomous bite can be fatal to humans. However, in the United States there are only four -- the Coral Snake, the Copperhead, the Cottonmouth Water Moccasin and the Rattlesnake. The rattlesnake (genus Crotalus) is the only venomous snake native to California, but other venomous snakes make their home in the deserts of the American Southwest.

Famous for their specialized method of moving efficiently over loose sand by pushing straight down in only two places at a time...the venomous Sidewinder is also called the "Horned Rattlesnake." It is unique because of its sideways form of locomotion with its body moving in an S-shaped curve.

The sidewinder rattlesnake is nocturnal.

The rattlesnake's enemy is the eagle.

This Sidewinder is light in color -- tan, cream, pink, gray or sandy, with darker patches on its back of gray, yellow or tan. Mature adults grow 18 to 32 inches in length. It also has a dark eye strip extending back along its head.

The Sidewinder has rough, keeled scales, which aid in its unique sidewinding locomotion. Its supraoculars (triangular projections over each eye) are pointed and upturned giving them a horn-like appearance --thus its nickname, the Horned Rattlesnake.

Sidewinders mate April through May, sometimes in the fall. Females give birth to 5-18 young late summer to early fall. The young are born 6 to 8" long.

The baby sidewinder is born alive. The mom can have up to thirty babies. When it's born it is in a thin sack. The mother pays no attention to them. It is on its own anyway. Young rattlers are completely independent of the mother. They remain in the area of their birth for the first 7 to 10 days, until they shed their first baby skin and add their first rattle. The litter then begins to disperse and begin the search for food. Many newborn do not survive the first year, either dying of hunger or being eaten by birds and animals. Even if they survive the first summer, they may perish during the first winter, if they can't find a suitable warm crevice in which to hibernate.

Rattler babies have venom and short fangs and are dangerous from birth. In fact, they are more pugnacious than the adults. Although unable to make a rattling sound, the youngsters throw themselves into a defensive pose and strike repeatedly when disturbed.

If all goes well, youngsters grow rapidly. Each time they come out of hibernation, they shed their skin, and with each skin shedding (molting) a new rattle appears. During the rapid growth of the first few years, they may molt three times annually. Thus, the number of rattles is not a true indicator of age. Rattles also wear out or break off, so it is unusual to find an adult snake with more than 8 or 10 rattles.

Rattlesnakes eat lizards and small rodents such as ground squirrels, small rabbits, rats and mice, striking rather than attempting to hold their prey. When the hollow fangs of the rattler penetrate the victim's flesh, venom is injected as though through twin hypodermic needles. Most small prey is immediately stunned. If a larger animal runs some distance before it dies, it is followed by the snake and swallowed whole.

Many people spend a lifetime hunting, fishing or otherwise enjoying the outdoors and never see a rattlesnake. Very few people are actually bitten by rattlesnakes, yet because the bite is extremely painful and can be fatal, you should always keep alert and watch where you step or put your hands when you are in the field. Be careful after dark as well, for on warm nights rattlesnakes are out and about searching for food...

watch out for me...

can you track me?

i will be watchin you...

I'll be keepin an extra eye out this season. Dyin to see one.

Mr. Sidewinder, you used to visit my back step when I lived full time in the desert..

Do you remember sneeking up to get a little cool air under the back door sill?

Do you remember scaring my wife out of her mind when she tried to go in the back yard?

Ah, the memories of the "Good Old Days"...

note to self...

do not leave boots outside at night...

Mr. Sidewinder, I've seen out far in dunes in your travels.
Your skins can be found, once you un-ravel.

Over the dunes you truly fly.
Cruzzin in the glow of a full moon sky.

In the shade is the place that makes you happy.
Chillin in the dunes with your pal SLAPPY.

You and I play an important role!
Keeping are habitat open is our goal!

Have seen you a time or two passin' by out looking for some grub. Next time we meet lets stop for a snack and chat.

Sure glad you are here Mr. Sidewinder, and you can bet Slap will be keeping an eye on you. You sure are one fun guy to track in Mother G with your candy cane prints.

Slap and the Slaparmy will steer clear of you and won't hurt you either. But we will will marvel at your beauty and being.

I met you once in my woodpile at wash six. Hope you didn't mind me putting you in that bag and transporting you across the tracks. The rest of my group had other ideas. but I thought you were too cute to kill.

hope to SEE you again sometime

it's good to put a name with the face....

your kind treatment is remembered fondly.

good days indeed...

< Rattles his tail and watches............

I saw some of your tracks at the Golf Tourney a couple weeks ago. looked like you got yourself some dinner too.

It was good to see you again my friend Ian. I hope to see you again real soon.

We may have bumped into one of your children at the pound. Feel free to stop by and scare the girls

But don't bite the hounds

re edited what i said because i cant read the obvious... sorry, but
very cool to see the "true" glamis community and the facts about them. so cool!

That's not slap


That's mr. dune sunflower

I have seen quite a few of your relatives, and some of your closest family, have not had the pleasure of seeing you around Mother G yet. Lots of your tell tail tracks, and from the looks of it a stop at the dinner table now and again.... Hope to see you before you see me, we will get along just fine....

My cats love to watch your friend slither thru the grass, but you don't want any part of them. You run away as fast as lightening. Your friend is very shy and she'd rather retreat than attack.

Oh yeah, thank your friend for keeping the rat population around my house in check.

It's that time of year again for me to come out and see what all my human friends are up to these days!

New season, new creatures. Good info!

Your cute but don't want to run into you

I've relocated you on many an occasion. its important that all us duners realize we are in your home and you only want to defend your home the way any of us would our own. you are generally docile. the only breed of rattler i dont care for is your cousin the mojave green. he's a mean cuss. but otherwise rattlesnakes are fun to look at and just want to be left alone. with a little cohersion you will usually move out of camp.

Thank you kind sir...

Dear Mr. Sidewinder I must confess that I am terrified of ever actually meeting you.. Although one trip we spotted your tracks in the sand and we followed them hoping to find you.. Your tracks were very impressive I must say. Stay safe and I promise that if I ever actually see you I will give you your space and respect you deserve.. I must ask you though if we do come across you please pose for a few pictures that would certainly be a story to tell....

A free bump to keep you at the top so that
those that fear you might read, learn and
begin to respect and love you for what you are.

Well I am going next weekend for an overnight trip. Guess whos not hanging around the camp fire? I will not run from a fight, Show me one snake and If I do not slip on my own crap... I am gone!! crying all the way to the trailer! Yes I am scared and am not ashamed to say it. I would never kill one cause I would be to affraid to come near it! I hate seeing them in the zoo behind the glass. We are in there home and we need to be respectful.

Saw one of your cousins up in northern NV last weekend. My daughter almost stepped on him, but it was cold and he was very lethargic.

<---- will stand my ground so if you move forward i will have to kill you in your tracks