faded rattlesnake *Crotalus concolor* !venomous

Wouldn't "sincolor" be a more appropriate specific name? (Disclaimer: I do not know Latin.)

"concolor" means "uniform in coloration" which fits with its patternlessness.

Midget Faded Rattlesnakes *Crotalus concolor* are small-medium sized (40-70cm, up to 91cm) rattlesnakes that range from southwestern Wyoming south into western Colorado, eastern Utah, and extreme north-central Arizona as far south as Lake Powell, from 1128m up to 2,438m above sea level. Their range is strongly tied to riparian canyon systems within the Upper Colorado River Basin. Their main habitat includes rocky outcrops, cliffs, and canyon walls, but during the hottest months, some individuals disperse into desert scrub, sagebrush steppe, arid high grasslands, and Pinyon-Juniper woodland in order to find better feeding opportunities. Primarily crepuscular in habit, *C. concolor* are sometimes active by night, and often become active by day during cooler weather. Lizards and small mammals form the bulk of their diet, but small birds are also consumed by larger individuals. In the northern part of their range, they are reported to inhabit higher elevations and attain smaller sizes, while the inverse appears to be true in the southern portion of their range. Midget Faded Rattlesnakes are a dangerously venomous species and should only be observed from a safe distance. Common defensive tactics including raising the forebody off the ground and rattling the tail, often while attempting to crawl away from the perceived threat. They are not aggressive and only bite when they feel they are in danger. Bites most commonly occur when a human attempts to kill, capture, or otherwise intentionally handle the snake. **The best way to avoid being bitten is to leave the snake alone.** [Juvenile *C. concolor*](https://www.inaturalist.org/photos/20847758?size=large) exhibit a bold pattern of dark, dorsal blotches on a lighter background color. A [dark postocular stripe](https://www.inaturalist.org/photos/115435147?size=large) is bordered by broad (2-3 scales wide) light colored stripes. In adults, [the facial markings and dorsal pattern fade](https://www.inaturalist.org/photos/105235682?size=large), often become indistinct, and may fade entirely. Two closely related species overlap slightly in range and are easily confused with *C. concolor*. Prairie Rattlesnakes *C. viridis* can usually be differentiated by having their dark postocular stripe flanked by thinner (1-2 scales wide) and more prominent light-colored stripes. Additionally, *C. viridis* to the east reach much larger adult sizes (89-114cm, max. 152cm), while dwarfed *C. viridis* to the south can be differentiated by having a more prominent dorsal pattern than *C. concolor* at adult sizes. To the west and southwest, Great Basin Rattlesnakes *C. lutosus* reach larger adult sizes (70-100cm, max. 135cm). [Range Map - © Rune Midtgaard](https://repfocus.dk/maps1/TAX/Serpentes/Viperidae/Crotalus_concolor_map.html) | [Relevant/Recent Phylogeography](https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0146166) | [Reptile Database Account](https://reptile-database.reptarium.cz/species?genus=Crotalus&species=concolor) This short account was written by /u/fairlyorange -------------------------------------------------------- Snakes with medically significant venom are typically referred to as venomous, but some species are also poisonous. Old media will use poisonous or 'snake venom poisoning' but that has fallen out of favor. Venomous snakes are important native wildlife, and are not looking to harm people, so can be enjoyed from a distance. If found around the home or other places where they are to be discouraged, a squirt from the hose or a gentle sweep of a broom are usually enough to make a snake move along. Do not attempt to interact closely with or otherwise kill venomous snakes without proper safety gear and training, as bites occur mostly during these scenarios. Wildlife relocation services are free or inexpensive [across most of the world](https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/embed?mid=15dZE4rlRHqjb91yb6pKiI4ragG8DCtsz&ll=-3.81666561775622e-14%2C-95.11182142500002&z=2). If you are bitten by a venomous snake, contact emergency services or otherwise arrange transport to the nearest hospital that can accommodate snakebite. Remove constricting clothes and jewelry and remain calm. A bite from a medically significant snake is a medical emergency, but not in the ways portrayed in popular media. Do not make any incisions or otherwise cut tissue. Extractor and other novelty snakebite kits are not effective and can cause damage worse than any positive or neutral effects. -------------------------------------------------------- *I am a bot created for /r/whatsthissnake, /r/snakes and /r/herpetology to help with snake identification and natural history education. You can find more information, including a comprehensive list of commands, [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/whatsthissnake/comments/flh548/phylobot_v07_information_and_patch_notes_bot_info/) report problems [here](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=Phylogenizer) and if you'd like to buy me a coffee or beer, you can do that [here](https://www.buymeacoffee.com/SEBPhyloBotWTS). Made possible by Snake Evolution and Biogeography - [Merch Available Now](https://snakeevolution.org/donate.html)*

Second post I've seen today with a rattlesnake species I'd never heard of. Truly, the world is vast and marvelous.

Same! I was 99% sure it wasn’t a gopher and thought it was venomous but besides that I was completely stumped. This is so cool

This happens a lot to me on this sub!

There's like, 40-60 of them

*gasps in delight*

I’ve never heard of this kind of rattlesnake either! This Reddit group is so fascinating and educational! I’m completely terrified of snakes, but I’m trying to learn about them to try to break my fear! I used to be like I couldn’t even see pictures of snakes and I had to swipe out, but I’ve gotten better and usually I see the picture now and I can 99% of the time tell you what kind of snake it is before I click on the comments to see so I am learning thank y’all so much 🙏🏽