Crotalus catalinensis
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| iCrotalus catalinensis | ||||||||||||||||||
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| Crotalus catalinensis Cliff, 1954 |
The Santa Catalina Island Rattlesnake (Crotalus catalinensis) or Rattleless Rattlesnake is a small, venomous species of rattlesnake endemic to Santa Catalina Island, California, USA.
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[edit] Description
Growing to a little more than 24 inches (61 cm), there are two distinct color variations of the Santa Catalina Island rattlesnake. The predominant variant is a light cream colored base, with reddish-brown blotching down the back, and black and white banding around the tail. The other variant is a much lighter, ash grey color, with darker grey blotching. The banding around the tail is still present.
The most unique feature about this species of rattlesnake is that it has no rattle at all. The base of the tail (referred to as the "button") is formed in such a way that the rattle immediately falls off with each shed instead of forming a new segment, as it does in other species of rattlesnake. This is widely believed to be a localized adaptation due to the arboreal tendencies of the snake. Where as most rattlers are almost entirely terrestrial due to their heavy body structure, the Santa Catalina Island rattlesnake's small size makes it a swift and skillful climber. The lack of a rattle enables them to approach fast moving prey, such as birds - which are its primary diet, without alerting them as to the snake's presence.
[edit] Conservation status
Santa Catalina Island is only 76 mi² (194 km²), and it is the only place this species of rattlesnake is found. Though there is a dedicated effort to preserve the native wildlife of the island, there is no program to specifically protect the snake. Its primary threats are land development and exotic predators, such as feral cats.
