Eastern Diamond-backed Rattlesnake Conservation

I have worked with many fascinating reptile and amphibian species over the years, but few experiences compare to interacting with large rattlesnakes. They are impressive and charismatic animals that have a reputation not at all deserved. Often portrayed as vicious and aggressive, most rattlesnakes that I have observed in the southeast will flee at the first opportunity and some even decline to rattle, despite being disturbed by pesky researchers. Like Cottonmouths, their reputation is greatly exaggerated and is based on a poor understanding of animal behavior. On more than one occasion I have been startled by how close my feet have been to large rattlesnakes without the snake giving any indication of its presence. During one of my first indigo snake surveys, I nearly stepped on a large Eastern Diamond-backed Rattlesnake (Crotalus adamanteus; EDB for short) before I realized it was there. The snake ultimately retreated down a nearby tortoise burrow rather than be exposed to a potential predator (me).

Few animals in the southeast are as impressive as a full grown EDB. One of the largest, both in terms of weight and length, snakes native to the U.S., EDBs were historically found in portions of seven states (Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana). Today, EDBs are thought to be extirpated from Louisiana and rare or extirpated in many parts of their former range in Mississippi and Alabama. Across this relatively broad range, EDBs can be found in a variety of habitats, including swamp forests, xeric hammocks, tropical hammocks, oak scrubs, temperate hardwood forests, salt marshes and coastal dunes. However, they are most often associated with open canopy pine savannas, particularly ones occupied by Gopher Tortoise populations. This highlights the importance of habitat features (e.g., tortoise burrows) that provide refugia from potentially lethal winter temperatures.