Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake

Characteristics

• Average size is between 4 and 6 feet with some specimens reaching over 7 feet
• Habit is incredibly varied and includes dry pine forests, sandhills, and marshes, swamps and prairies
• Diet includes birds and mammals as large as cottontail rabbits

This is the largest of the rattlesnakes and the heaviest venomous snake in the Americas. It is also the most dangerous snake in North America and can strike to a distance up to a third of their body length. Although the eastern diamondback is not usually aggressive, it can easily deliver a fatal bite. This snake is named for the black diamond blotches down its back. The spots are outlined in cream or yellow scales and the body of the snake is grey or olive in color. The rattle can be heard from  a distance and is sometimes used to warn off predators but some snakes strike without rattling.