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| Scientific name: |
Common Name: |
| Crotalus cerastes cercobombus |
Sonoran Sidewinder |
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Physical Characteristics |
Length, 17-33 in. (42-82 cm). The sidewinder is usually a pale, sand-colored snake. However, some individuals are pinkish or yellow depending on the local ground color. They have light and dark patches along the back and speckles along the sides. Sidewinders have a prominent horn-shaped scale above each eye, which is why they are sometimes referred to as, the "Horned Rattlesnake". Sidewinders are most notable among rattlesnakes for their peculiar sideways movement. The tracks consist of a series of J-shaped marks with the hook of the J pointing in the direction of travel. |
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Geographic Range (USA, México) |
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| Sonoran Sidewinder, C. c. cercobombus – lower central Arizona, and NW Sonora. Mojave Desert Sidewinder, C. c. cerastes – eastern California, southern Nevada, extreme SW Utah, and central W Arizona. Colorado Desert Sidewinder, C. c. laterorepens – extreme southern California, SW Arizona, NE Baja California, and NW Sonora. |
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| Habitat |
| Sidewinders are found in arid deserts, flatlands, loose, sandy washes, hard pan flats, and rocky areas below 5,000 feet. |
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| Diet |
| Pocket mice, kangaroo rats, and lizards. |
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| Venom |
| Hemorrhagins are the predominant toxins, resulting in tissue damage and edema. |
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| Remarks |
| Sidewinders have relatively long fangs, and will bite quickly when molested. However, due to the small size of this snake, and its rather small venom yield it is considered only slightly dangerous. |
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