Pigmy Rattlesnakes belong to the family of vipers, which is known for their hinged fangs. It comes with three subspecies; Carolina, Dusky, and the Western Pygmy Rattlesnake. The Carolina Pigmy Rattlesnake has a reddish to pale grey shade with some clear patterns. They can have 1-2 blotches on their sides and may have 23 rows of scales. The Dusky Pigmy Rattlesnake have black specks that are covering the patterns in their body. Western Pygmy Rattlesnake, on the other hand, has a dull grayish brown shade and marks that form crossbars.
What is the Appearance of the Pigmy Rattlesnake?
It is a small type of rattlesnake that can grow at 14-22 inches. Pigmy rattlesnake is also called ground rattler or pigmy rattler; it has a relatively stout body for its small size. The snake's triangular-shaped head comes with nine scales. The body color may range from light gray to a darker shade of gray. The dark longitudinal row passes through the markings that disrupt the red-brown stripe, extending to the center of their back. It also has dark blotches on its side, a slender tail with a rattler on its end, and a heat-sensing pit between its eyes and nostrils that it uses to track its prey.
Where is the Habitat of Pigmy Rattlesnake?
Carolina Pigmy Rattlesnakes are found in central, northwestern, and northeastern parts of Georgia and South Carolina. The Dusky Pigmy Rattlesnake, on the other hand, will inhabit the Coastal Plains of the southern area. There are some of them in Piedmonts, but they are scattered. They love to stay near water sources such as swamps, marshes, and creeks. Nonetheless, they can still be found in a range of habitats like hardwoods, mixed forest, scrub pinewoods, xeric uplands, etc. The Carolina Pigmy prefers the drier areas, so you can find it near the sandhills and pine forest. If there is a burrow of the gopher tortoise, they will use this as their den.
What is the Feeding Habit of the Pigmy Rattlesnake?
Just like most of the pit vipers, the pigmy rattlesnakes will prefer to ambush their prey. They will patiently wait for prey to pass by their area. They will then immediately snatch them. They can be very persistent; they can remain coiled in the same position for three weeks. However, when food is scarce, they will actively hunt their prey. They will feed on spiders, centipedes, insects, nesting birds, frogs, lizards, and mice.
The mating season will typically occur from September to January. After the breeding process, the female will store the sperm of the male pigmy snake and wait until the spring season to develop the embryo. During this time, you will see most of the females basking in the sun to speed up their offspring's development. By July to September, they will be ready to deliver 3-10 young pigmy rattlesnakes. The newborn snakes will prefer to stay close to their mother. After they complete the first molting process, they will start to act more independently.
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