Serving San Diego
Herp Enthusiasts
& the Community
for over 33 years!
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Serving San Diego Herp Enthusiasts & the Community for over 33 years!
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HERP OF THE MONTH Red Diamond Rattlesnake Crotalus ruber San Diego is the natural home of the Red Diamond Rattlesnake. The species originally was native to the mountains and coastal slopes of southern California from the Los Angeles basin south through Baja California, except the northeastern desert of the Imperial Valley, south to the southern tip of the peninsula and some of the islands in the Gulf of California. Urban development has crowded it out of heavily populated parts of its home range but some individuals are sometimes encountered in the suburbs. It may be found in heavy brush and rocky places from sea level to an elevation of 4000 ft. in the mountains. The Red Diamond is the largest rattlesnake in San Diego County. The longest, recorded individual was 5ft.4in. which might be roughly comparable to the height of a medium size lady, member of the San Diego Herpetological Society. Of the other three species, the Southern Pacific C. oreganus helleri is next longest, with a maximum length of 4 ½ ft., followed by the Southwestern Speckled, C. mitchelli pyrrhus, at a max. of 3ft.8in. with the Sidewinder, C. cerastes, of the desert, the smallest at 2½ ft. The nominate subspecies, C. r. ruber gives way to C. r. lucasensis, south of Loreto, B.C., and, a subspecies on Isla San Lorenzo Sur, C. r. lorenzoensis is distinguished by a tendency to lose the rattle in most individuals and does not quite reach 3 ft. in length.
Crotalus ruber lucasensis Crotalus ruber lorenzoensis
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