Canyon Country Animals
Reptiles: Snake
A wide variety of rattlesnakes exist in this area, but are seldom seen. They do not attack people, though they may crawl in your direction if they are not aware of your presence. Rattlesnakes are more sensitive to ground vibrations than to sound, and ordinarily move quietly away from an approaching hiker. If surprised, they usually coil into a defensive posture and back slowly away and may rattle. When you hear the rattle, stop immediately and spot the snake before moving carefully away.
Rattlesnakes
Scientific Name: Sidewinder: Crotalus cerastesScientific Name: Western Diamondback: Crotalus atrox
- In the United States, it is estimated that 8,000 people per year are bitten by a poisonous snake, resulting in 12 to 15 deaths. Residents and visitors to the southwest, with its outdoor lifestyle and desert climate, face an annual incidence twice the national average, about seven bites per 100,000 population. Most victims were 18 to 50 years old. 87% of all victims were male and 40% of these victims were intoxicated. 60% of the victims made no attempt to avoid contact with the snake, but actually sought contact. Because of these behaviors, adults are more likely to be bitten on the hand than children, most of whose bites occur on the foot or leg.
- Rattlesnakes are members of the pit viper family. They possess heat sensitive pits next to their nostrils which help find prey and gauge the amount of venom to release. The presence of these pits, along with vertical slit-like pupils and rattles on their tails, identify them as poisonous. Thirteen species of rattlesnakes inhabit Arizona alone.
- Cottonmouths, moccasins, and copperheads are also pit vipers, but they do not have the rattles. None of them are commonly found in Arizona.
- Venom is effective in rapidly killing small prey and in beginning the digestion process for the rattlesnake. To accomplish this, the venom contains many enzymes, proteins, and peptides.
- In people that have been bitten, envenomation commonly results in local tissue injury and edema (swelling), along with severe pain. Some victims complain of numbness or tingling of the face, lips, and extremes. Others may experience a metallic taste in their mouth.
Up to 20% of rattlesnake bites may be "dry;" that is, they result in no envenomation (no venom being injected into the person). It is important, therefore, to avoid unnecessary complications in first aid treatment. See Current First Aid Recommendations for more details.- When you plan on being outdoors, be aware that you are sharing that outdoors with the native creatures of the area. Some of them may be poisonous snakes. If you should encounter a rattlesnake, avoid it and it will leave you alone. Since it cannot eat you, it views biting you as a waste of good venom.
- Snakebite, like most other injuries, can be prevented if you are aware of your surroundings and take precautionary measures to avoid it.
Constrictors
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Striped Whipsnake (Scientific Name: Masticophis taeniatus) |
Great Basin Gopher Snake (Scientific Name: Pituophis) |
Photos
Notes
The main photo on this page is a Pygmy Rattlesnake taken along the Gooseberry Trail in the Island in the Sky District of Canyonlands National Park, Utah. The other images were taken at various other locations in the Colorado Plateau Region of Utah.
Books and Resources
Related Sites
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