Sistrurus catenatus tergeminus

Sistrurus catenatus tergeminus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Subphylum:	Vertebrata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Serpentes
Family:	Viperidae
Subfamily:	Crotalinae
Genus:	Sistrurus
Species:	S. catenatus
Subspecies:	S. c. tergeminus
Trinomial name
Sistrurus catenatus tergeminus (Say, 1823)
Synonyms
Crotalus tergeminus - Say In Long, 1823 Crotalophorus tergeminus - Gray, 1831 Crotalophorus tergeminus - Baird & Girard, 1853 C[rotalus]. (Crotalophorus) miliarius var. tergeminus - Jan, 1863 Caudisona tergemina - Cope, 1875 Sistrurus catenatus tergeminus - Klauber, 1936[1]

Common names: western massasauga, ground rattlesnake, Gulf coast massasauga,^[2] more.

Sistrurus catenatus tergeminus is a venomous pitviper subspecies^[3] found in the southwestern plains of the United States. In some areas its range overlaps that of another subspecies, S. c. edwardsii, and intergrading of the two is not unknown.

Description

Adults range in size from 35 cm to 91 cm. The standard length for 43 male and 63 female adult specimens was 68 cm.^[2] Conant (1975) mentions an average length of 46-66 cm, with a maximum of 88.3 cm.^[4]

The color pattern is similar to that of S. c. catenatus, but paler: the dark brown blotches contrast strongly with the tan-gray or light gray ground color. The venter (belly) is light with a few dark markings.^[4]

Common names

Western massasauga, ground rattlesnake, Gulf coast massasauga, Edward's massasauga, large ground rattlesnake, pigmy rattlesnake, prairie rattlesnake, Say's false rattlesnake, Sonora ground rattlesnake, Texas massasauga, three-spotted shield rattler, triple-spotted rattlesnake.^[2]

Geographic range

Found in the United States in the southwestern plains from extreme southeastern Nebraska and northwestern Missouri, southwest through east-central Kansas and west-central Oklahoma into northern and central Texas about as far southwest as the Colorado River.^[5][6] The type locality given is "between the Mississippi River and the Rocky Mountains."^[1]

Behavior

Primarily found in grassland areas, on the edge of open woodland, or on rocky hillsides, and often makes use of the burrows of other animals for shelter. They primarily eat rodents, but they may also eat lizards and frogs. Their rattles are significantly higher pitched than those of larger species of rattlesnake, sometimes giving them the nickname buzztail. They are primarily nocturnal, especially during the summer months when it is too hot for them to be active, but they will sometimes be found out sunning themselves. They are most often found immediately after rain storms.

Venom

Drop for drop, Massasauga venom is more potent than that of many larger species of rattlesnake, but due to the lower yield (the amount it is capable of delivering in a single bite) its potential for harm is greatly reduced. The venom is a powerful hemotoxin which can cause swelling, necrosis, and severe pain. Despite it's smaller size and less severe bite, envenomation can still be fatal if untreated, and treatment should be sought immediately for any venomous snake bite. The antivenin CroFab, while not type specific, can be used to treat severe envenomations from Massasauga rattlesnakes.

See also

• List of crotaline species and subspecies
• Crotalinae by common name
• Crotalinae by taxonomic synonyms
• Snakebite

References

1. ^ ^{a b} McDiarmid RW, Campbell JA, Touré T. 1999. Snake Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference, vol. 1. Herpetologists' League. 511 pp. ISBN 1-893777-00-6 (series). ISBN 1-893777-01-4 (volume).
2. ^ ^{a b c} Wright AH, Wright AA. 1957. Handbook of Snakes. Comstock Publishing Associates. (7th printing, 1985). 1105 pp. ISBN 0-8014-0463-0.
3. ^ "Sistrurus catenatus tergeminus". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. http://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=209513. Retrieved 1 February 2007. 
4. ^ ^{a b} Conant R. 1975. A Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of Eastern and Central North America. Second Edition. First published in 1958. Houghton Mifflin Company Boston. 429 pp. 48 plates. ISBN 0-395-19979-4. ISBN 0-395-19979-8 (pbk.).
5. ^ Klauber LM. 1997. Rattlesnakes: Their Habitats, Life Histories, and Influence on Mankind. Second Edition. First published in 1956, 1972. University of California Press, Berkeley. ISBN 0-520-21056-5.
6. ^ Campbell JA, Lamar WW. 2004. The Venomous Reptiles of the Western Hemisphere. Comstock Publishing Associates, Ithaca and London. 870 pp. 1500 plates. ISBN 0-8014-4141-2.

External links

• Sistrurus catenatus at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database. Accessed 5 December 2007.
• Sistrurus catenatus at Herps of Texas. Accessed 1 February 2007.