CaliforniaHerps.com

Pacific Northwest
Reptiles & Amphibians

Click on a picture for a larger view




Western Rattlesnake - Crotalus oreganus


Great Basin Rattlesnake - Crotalus oreganus lutosus

Klauber, 1930

(= Crotalus lutosus )


range map

Yellow = C. o. lutosus
Click the map for a key to the other subspecies.





observation link



Many of the Great Basin Rattlesnakes shown on this page were found in Nevada because I don't yet have pictures of the "pure" subspecies from Oregon, Washington, or Idaho. Part of northern Nevada is included in Alan St. John's excellent field guide "Reptiles of the Northwest" so that's another reason to include them here. They are also found on the Southwest page. Pictures of the subspeces found in California in an area also shown in St. John's book are found in the California section of the website.

Adult, White Pine County, Nevada
Great Basin Rattlesnake Great Basin Rattlesnake Great Basin Rattlesnake
Adult, Washoe County, Nevada Juvenile, Washoe County, Nevada
© Don Johnson
Great Basin Rattlesnake
Great Basin Rattlesnake
Great Basin Rattlesnake
Adult, Mineral County, Nevada.
© Brad Alexander
Adult, Washoe County, Nevada
great basin rattlesnake
Adult, White Pine County, Nevada Juvenile, Washoe County, Nevada
© Lou Silva
Great Basin Rattlesnake Great Basin Rattlesnake Great Basin Rattlesnake
Den site in Washoe County, Nevada, where snakes have been seen for at least 20 years.
© Tom Green - TomGreenPhotography.com
great basin rattlesnake
Great Basin Rattlesnake
 
Adult, Elko County © Bill Bachman Tail and Rattle  
     
C. oreganus from Oregon Area of Intergradation with C. o. oreganus - Northern Pacific Rattlesnake
Northern Pacific Rattlesnake
Adult, Crook County, Oregon© Riley Frasier
found approximately 20 miles northwest of the most northwesterly report of a "true" C. o. lutosus
Northern Pacific Rattlesnake Northern Pacific Rattlesnake
Adult, Crook County, Oregon © Riley Frasier
found approximtely 50 miles northwest of the most northwesterly report of a "true"
C. o. lutosus

Adult, Crook County, Oregon
© Riley Frasier
found approximately 20 miles northwest of the most northwesterly report of a "true" C. o. lutosus
Northern Pacific Rattlesnake Northern Pacific Rattlesnake Northern Pacific Rattlesnake
Adult, Crook County, Oregon
© Riley Frasier
found approximately 50 miles northwest of the most northwesterly report of a "true" C. o. lutosus
Adult, Crook County, Oregon
© Riley Frasier
found approximately 50 miles northwest of the most northwesterly report of a "true" C. o. lutosus
Adult, Crook County, Oregon
© Riley Frasier
found approximately 20 miles northwest of the most northwesterly report of a "true" C. o. lutosus
Northern Pacific Rattlesnake Northern Pacific Rattlesnake  
Adult, Crook County, Oregon
© Riley Frasier
© Riley Frasier
Left: typical C. o. oreganus
Right: mix with C. o. lutosus
These two snakes were found only a few miles apart in Crook County, Oregon, in an area where C. oreganus varies widely - about 50 + miles northwest of where "true" C. o. lutosus is found, and about 20-30 miles southeast of "true" C. o. oreganus.
 
     
Habitat
Great Basin Rattlesnake habitat Great Basin Rattlesnake habitat Great Basin Rattlesnake habitat
Adult, Washoe County, Nevada Adult, Washoe County, Nevada Adult, Washoe County, Nevada
Great Basin Rattlesnake habitat Great Basin Gophersnake habitat Salt Lake Valley Short-horned Lizard habitat
Habitat, Washoe County, Nevada Habitat, Nye County, Nevada Habitat, White Pine County, Nevada
  lutosus habitat  
  Habitat, Elko County © Bill Bachman  
     
Videos and Sound
Great Basin Rattlesnake Great Basin Rattlesnake sound


A Great Basin Rattlesnake rattles at night in the Nevada desert. A Great Basin Rattlesnake crawls under a bush and rattles in the afternoon in eastern Siskiyou County. Listen to a Great Basin Rattlesnake rattling.  © Jeff Rice
Not to be used without permission.
(Listen to more recordings of this snake at the Western Soundscape Archive)

Northwest Herps References



Home Site Map About Us Identification Lists Maps Photos More Lists CA Snakes CA Lizards CA Turtles CA Salamanders CA Frogs
Contact Us Usage Resources Rattlesnakes Sounds Videos FieldHerping Yard Herps Behavior Herp Fun CA Regulations
Beyond CA All Herps


Northwest Reptiles and Amphibians

Return to the Top

 © 2000 -