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| Scientific name: |
Common Name: |
| Crotalus oreganus concolor |
Midget Faded Rattlesnake |
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Physical Characteristics |
Length, 20-29 in. (52-75 cm). Cream, yellow, or light tan ground color with slightly darker somewhat oval blotches along the back which can sometimes be faint or absent. |
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Geographic Range (USA) |
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| Eastern half of Utah and western Colorado and a small area in extreme southwestern Wyoming. |
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| Habitat |
| Desert scrub, sage brush, and pinyon-juniper woodlands. |
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| Diet |
| Small rodents and lizards. |
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| Venom |
| Hemorrhagic toxins, resulting in tissue damage and edema. However, neurotoxins may also be present causing paralysis of the muscles of swallowing and respiration. |
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| Remarks |
| Once considered a subspecies of the Crotalus viridis complex. Recent molecular analysis suggests it is a separate species and Douglas et al. (2003) has elevated it to full species status. The Midget Faded Rattlesnake is a relatively small inoffensive snake. However, some individuals have a neurotoxic component in their venom which increases the toxicity significantly. |
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