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((Short description|Species of snake))
((more citations needed|date=June 2018))
((Speciesbox
| image = (Westliche Diamantklapperschlange) Crotalus atrox.jpg
| status = LC
| status_system = IUCN3.1
| status_ref = <ref name="iucn status 19 November 2021">((cite iucn |author=Frost, D.R. |author2=Hammerson, G.A. |author3=Santos-Barrera, G. |date=2007 |title=''Crotalus atrox'' |volume=2007 |page=e.T64311A12763519 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2007.RLTS.T64311A12763519.en |access-date=19 November 2021))</ref>
| display_parents = 5
| genus = Crotalus
| species = atrox
| authority = [[Spencer Fullerton Baird|Baird]] & [[Charles Frédéric Girard|Girard]], 1853
| range_map = Crotalus atrox distribution.png
| synonyms = * ''Crotalus cinereous'' <small>[[John Eatton LeConte|Le Conte]] ''in'' [[Edward Hallowell (herpetologist)|Hallowell]], 1852</small> [''nomen oblitum'']
* ''Crotalus atrox'' <small>[[Spencer Fullerton Baird|Baird]] & [[Charles Frédéric Girard|Girard]], 1853</small> [''nomen protectum'']
* ''Crotalus adamanteus'' var. ''atrox'' <small>[[Giorgio Jan|Jan]], 1859</small>
* ''Caudisona atrox'' var. ''atrox'' <small>[[Robert Kennicott|Kennicott]], 1861</small>
* ''Caudisona atrox'' var. ''sonoraensis'' <small>Kennicott, 1861</small>
* ''C''[''rotalus'']. ''adamanteus'' var. ''atrox'' <small>Jan, 1863</small>
* ''C''[''rotalus'']. ''atrox'' var. ''sonoriensis'' <small>Jan, 1863</small>
* ''C''[''audisona'']. ''atrox'' <small>[[Edward Drinker Cope|Cope]], 1867</small>
* ''Crotalus adamanteus atrox'' <small>Cope ''in'' [[H.C. Yarrow|Yarrow]] ''in'' [[George Wheeler (explorer)|Wheeler]], 1875</small>
* ''Caudisona atrox'' var. ''sonorensis'' <small>[[George Albert Boulenger|Boulenger]], 1896</small>
* ''Crotalus atrox atrox'' <small>Cope, 1900</small>
* [''Crotalus''] ''atrox sonoraensis'' <small>[[:fr:Afrânio Pompilo Gastos do Amaral|Amaral]], 1929</small>
* ''Crotalus atrox'' <small>[[Laurence Monroe Klauber|Klauber]], 1972</small>
* ''Crotalus sonoriensis'' <small>Golay ''et al.'', 1993</small>
* ''Crotalus atrox'' <small>Golay ''et al''., 1993</small><ref name="McD99">McDiarmid RW, Campbell JA, Touré T. (1999). ''Snake Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference'', vol. 1. Herpetologists' League. ((ISBN|1-893777-01-4)).((Page needed|date=March 2013))</ref>
))

The '''western diamondback rattlesnake'''<ref name="ITIS">((ITIS |id=174310 |taxon=Crotalus atrox |access-date=28 November 2006))</ref> or '''Texas diamond-back'''<ref name="W&W57">Wright AH, Wright AA. (1957). ''Handbook of Snakes''. Comstock Publishing Associates. (7th printing, 1985). ((ISBN|0-8014-0463-0)).((Page needed|date=March 2013))</ref> ('''''Crotalus atrox''''') is a [[rattlesnake]] [[species]] and member of the viper family, found in the [[southwestern United States]] and [[Mexico]]. Like all other rattlesnakes and all other vipers, it is [[venomous snake|venomous]]. It is likely responsible for the majority of snakebite fatalities in northern Mexico and the greatest number of snakebites in the U.S.<ref name="Nor-C&L04">Norris R. (2004) "Venom Poisoning in North American Reptiles" in Campbell JA, Lamar WW. ''The Venomous Reptiles of the Western Hemisphere''. Comstock Publishing Associates, Ithaca and London. ((ISBN|0-8014-4141-2)).</ref> No subspecies are currently recognized.<ref name="ITIS"/>

It lives in elevations from below sea level up to ((Convert|6500|feet|m|abbr=)). This species ranges throughout the [[Southwestern United States]] and northern half of Mexico. Currently, western diamondback rattlesnakes are not threatened or endangered.

==Common names==
Other common names for this species include western diamond-backed rattlesnake,<ref name="ITIS"/> adobe snake, Arizona diamond rattlesnake, coon tail, desert diamond-back, desert diamond rattlesnake, fierce rattlesnake, spitting rattlesnake, buzz tail, Texan rattlesnake, Texas diamond-back, and Texas rattler.

==Description==
[[File:Juvenile Rattlesnake Rattle Button (51305424).jpg|thumb|left|The button rattle of a juvenile]]
[[File:Crotalus atrox diamantklapperschlange kopf.jpg|thumb|right|Closeup of the head at the [[Zoological Garden]], [[Ulm]], Germany]]
Adults commonly grow to ((convert|120|cm|ft|0|abbr=on)) in length. Specimens over ((convert|150|cm|ft|0|abbr=on)) are infrequently encountered, while those over ((convert|180|cm|ft|0|abbr=on)) are very rare, and the largest reported length considered to be reliable is ((convert|213|cm|ft|0|abbr=on)).<ref name="Kla97"/> Males become much larger than females, although this difference in size does not occur until after they have reached sexual maturity.<ref name="Nor-C&L04"/> Rattlesnakes of this species considered medium-sized weigh up to ((convert|1.23|to|2.7|kg|lb|0|abbr=on)), while very large specimens can reportedly weigh up to ((convert|6.7|kg|lb|abbr=on)).<ref>((cite journal |doi=10.1016/S0196-0644(89)80216-1 |title=Preliminary observations on the effects of hyperbaric oxygen therapy on western diamondback rattlesnake (''Crotalus atrox'') venom poisoning in the rabbit model |year=1989 |last1=Stolpe |first1=Michael R |last2=Norris |first2=Robert L |last3=Chisholm |first3=Carey D |last4=Hartshorne |first4=Michael F |last5=Okerberg |first5=Carl |last6=Ehler |first6=William J |last7=Posch |first7=John |journal=Annals of Emergency Medicine |volume=18 |issue=8 |pages=871–4 |pmid=2757285))</ref><ref>[http://eol.org/pages/795269/details ''Crotalus atrox'' Western Diamond-backed Rattlesnake]. Encyclopedia of Life</ref><ref>((cite journal | last1 = Feldman | first1 = A. | last2 = Meiri | first2 = S. | year = 2012 | title = Length–mass allometry in snakes | journal = Biological Journal of the Linnean Society | volume = 108 | issue = 1| pages = 161–172 | doi=10.1111/j.1095-8312.2012.02001.x| doi-access = free ))</ref> Overall, it is probably the second largest-bodied species of rattlesnake, behind only its close cousin the [[eastern diamondback rattlesnake]], and is also the second largest of [[North America]]n venomous snakes (the [[Lachesis (genus)|bushmasters]], which attain probably similar weights and greater total length, occur up as far as [[Nicaragua]]).<ref>((cite journal | last1 = Minton | first1 = S. A. | last2 = Weinstein | first2 = S. A. | year = 1986 | title = Geographic and ontogenic variation in venom of the western diamondback rattlesnake (Crotalus atrox) | journal = Toxicon | volume = 24 | issue = 1| pages = 71–80 | doi=10.1016/0041-0101(86)90167-4| pmid = 3513378 ))</ref><ref>((cite journal | last1 = Taylor | first1 = E. N. | last2 = Denardo | first2 = D. F. | year = 2005 | title = Sexual size dimorphism and growth plasticity in snakes: an experiment on the Western Diamond‐backed Rattlesnake (Crotalus atrox) | journal = Journal of Experimental Zoology Part A: Ecological Genetics and Physiology | volume = 303 | issue = 7| pages = 598–607 ))</ref><ref>((cite journal | last1 = Vial | first1 = J. L. | last2 = Jimenez-Porras | first2 = J. M. | year = 1967 | title = The Ecogeography of the Bushmaster, Lachesis muta, in Central America | doi = 10.2307/2423378 | journal = American Midland Naturalist | volume =  78| issue = 1| pages = 182–187 | jstor = 2423378 ))</ref>

The color pattern generally consists of a dusty-looking gray-brown ground color, but it may also be pinkish-brown, brick red, yellowish, pinkish, or chalky white. This ground color is overlaid dorsally with a series of 23-45 (mean, 36) dorsal body blotches that are dark gray-brown to brown in color.<ref>Ernst, CH; Ernst, EM. 2003. Snakes of the United States and Canada. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution.</ref> The first of these may be a pair of short stripes that extend backwards to eventually merge. Some of the first few blotches may be somewhat rectangular, but then become more hexagonal and eventually take on a distinctive diamond shape, hence the name "diamondback rattlesnake". The tail has two to eight (usually four to six) black bands separated by  ash white or pale gray interspaces; this led to the nickname of "coon tail", though other species (e.g., [[Mojave rattlesnake]]) have similarly banded tails. Its postocular stripe is smoky gray or dark gray-brown and extends diagonally from the lower edge of the eye across the side of the head. This stripe is usually bordered below by a white stripe running from the upper [[preocular scale]] down to the [[supralabial]] scales just below and behind the eye.<ref name="Nor-C&L04"/> Its off-white belly is usually unmarked, its anal scale is undivided, and its dorsal scales are extremely [[keeled scales|keeled]], often in rows of 25 to 27 near the midbody.((Citation needed|date=May 2011))

[[File:Crotalus atrox -Museum of Osteology, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA-29Aug2012.jpg|thumb|left|A skeleton at the [[Museum of Osteology]], [[Oklahoma City]], Oklahoma]]
The wide range of this species overlaps, or is close to, that of many others. It may be confused with them, but differences exist. The Mojave rattlesnake (''[[Crotalus scutulatus|C.&nbsp;scutulatus]]''), also has tail rings, but the black rings are narrow relative to the pale ones. The [[timber rattlesnake]] (''C.&nbsp;horridus''), has no tail rings. In the western rattlesnake (''[[Crotalus oreganus|C.&nbsp;oreganus]]''), the pale tail rings are the same color as the ground. The tail of the black-tailed rattlesnake (''[[Crotalus molossus|C.&nbsp;molossus]]''), is a uniform black, or has indistinct tail rings. The Mexican west coast rattlesnake (''[[Crotalus basiliscus|C.&nbsp;basiliscus]]''), also has a  mostly dark tail with obscure or absent rings. The tiger rattlesnake, (''[[Crotalus tigris|C.&nbsp;tigris]]''), has a relatively small head and large rattle along with a dorsal pattern consisting more of crossbands. The Middle American rattlesnake (''[[Crotalus simus|C.&nbsp;simus]]''), has a generally uniform gray tail without any rings, as well as a pair of distinctive paravertebral stripes running down the neck. Members of the genus ''[[Sistrurus]]'' lack tail rings and have enlarged head plates.<ref name="Nor-C&L04"/>

==Distribution==
===Geographic range===
It is found in the [[United States]] from central [[Arkansas]] to southeastern and Central [[California]], south into [[Mexico]] as far as northern [[Sinaloa]], [[Hidalgo (Mexico)|Hidalgo]] and northern [[Veracruz]]. Disjunct populations exist in southern Veracruz and southeastern [[Oaxaca]]. The [[Type locality (biology)|type locality]] given is "[[Indianola, Texas|Indianola]]" (Indianola, [[Calhoun County, Texas]]).<ref name="McD99"/>

In the United States, it occurs in central and western Arkansas, [[Oklahoma]] excluding the northeast, north-central region and the panhandle, [[Texas]] excluding the northern panhandle and the east, southern and central [[New Mexico]] and [[Arizona]], extreme southern [[Nevada]], southwestern [[Utah]], and in southeastern California on either side of the [[Chocolate Mountains]]. Records from extreme southern [[Kansas]] ([[Cowley County, Kansas|Cowley]] and [[Sumner County, Kansas|Sumner]] Counties) may be based on a natural occurrence of the species, while multiple records from near Kanopolis Reservoir in [[Ellsworth County, Kansas|Ellsworth County]] seem to indicate a viable (although isolated) population.<ref name="Nor-C&L04"/>

In Mexico, it occurs in [[Nuevo León]], [[Coahuila]], [[Chihuahua (state)|Chihuahua]], [[Sonora]], extreme northeastern [[Baja California]], northern [[Sinaloa]], northeastern [[Durango]], [[Zacatecas]], most of [[San Luis Potosí]], northern Veracruz, Hidalgo, and [[Querétaro]]. Specimens have been collected in the mountains northwest of [[Tehuantepec]], Oaxaca, on numerous occasions, but have not been reported there since the 1940s.<ref name="Nor-C&L04"/>

This species has also been reported on a number of islands in the [[Gulf of California]], including San Pedro Mártir, Santa María (Sinaloa), [[Tiburón Island|Tíburon]] and the Turner Islands.<ref name="Nor-C&L04"/> The [[Tortuga Island diamond rattlesnake]] is also a subspecies.

===Habitat===
((Unreferenced section|date=June 2018))
Its habitats  range from flat coastal plains to steep rocky canyons and hillsides; it is associated with many different vegetation types, including [[desert]], sandy [[Larrea tridentata|creosote]] areas, [[mesquite]] grassland, [[Deserts and xeric shrublands|desert scrub]], and pine-oak forests.   It is common to see the western diamondback on rural blacktop roads in early evening, because of the heat retention of these surfaces, as ambient temperatures drops.

==Behavior==
[[File:Patternless Crotalus atrox.jpg|thumb|''C. atrox'', patternless specimen]]

''C. atrox'' is [[Solitary animal|solitary]] except during the mating season. Usually inactive between late October and early March, these [[ectotherm]]s occasionally may be seen basking in the sun on warm winter days. In the winter, they [[hibernation|hibernate]] or [[Brumation|brumate]] in caves or burrows, sometimes with many other species of snakes. Life expectancy is more than 20 years.((citation needed|date=June 2014))

They are poor climbers. Natural predators include [[Bird of prey|raptors]] such as hawks and eagles, [[Greater roadrunner|roadrunners]], wild hogs, and other snakes. When threatened, they usually coil and rattle to warn aggressors. They are one of the more defensive rattlesnake species in the US in the way that they stand their ground when confronted by a foe. If rattling does not work, then the snake will strike in defense.<ref>((cite web|url=http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/3273|title=Snakes in the Garden- the Good, the Bad and the Ugly|website=Dave's Garden))</ref>

==Prey==
A comprehensive study by Beavers (1976) on the prey of ''C. atrox'' in Texas showed, by weight, 94.8% of their prey consisted of small mammals.<ref name="Nor-C&L04"/> According to Pisani and Stephenson (1991), who conducted a study of the stomach contents of ''C. atrox'' in the fall and spring of [[Oklahoma]], mammalian prey included prairie dogs (''[[black-tailed prairie dog|Cynomys ludovicianus]]''), kangaroo rats (''[[Ord's kangaroo rat|Dipodomys ordii]]''), pocket gophers (''[[Plains pocket gopher|Geomys bursarius]]'' and ''[[Yellow-faced pocket gopher|Cratogeomys castanops]]''), voles (''[[Prairie vole|Microtus ochrogaster]]''), woodrats (''[[Eastern woodrat|Neotoma floridana]]''), pocket mice (''[[Perognathus hispidus]]'' and ''[[Perognathus flavescens|P. flavescens]]''), white-footed mice (''[[white-footed mouse|Peromyscus leucopus]]'' and ''[[Peromyscus maniculatus|P. maniculatus]]''), Old World rats and mice (''[[brown rat|Rattus norvegicus]]'' and ''[[Mus (genus)|Mus]]'' ssp.), harvest mice (''[[Western harvest mouse|Reithrodontomys megalotis]]''), [[fox squirrel]]s (''Sciurus niger''), cotton rats (''[[Hispid cotton rat|Sigmodon hispidus]]''), ground squirrels (''[[Spotted ground squirrel|Spermophilus spilosoma]]''), rabbits (''[[Eastern cottontail|Sylvilagus floridanus]]''), jackrabbits (''[[black-tailed jackrabbit|Lepus californicus]]''), and an unidentified mole species.<ref name="Nor-C&L04"/> Klauber mentioned large specimens are capable of swallowing adult cottontail rabbits and even adult jackrabbits, although he figured the latter required confirmation.<ref name="Kla97">Klauber LM. (1997). ''Rattlesnakes: Their Habitats, Life Histories, and Influence on Mankind''. 2nd ed. First published in 1956, 1972. University of California Press, Berkeley. ((ISBN|0-520-21056-5)).((Page needed|date=March 2013))</ref>

Birds, lizards, amphibians, fish, invertebrates,<ref>((cite web | url=https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Crotalus_atrox/ | title=Crotalus atrox (Western Diamond-backed Rattlesnake) ))</ref> and mice are also preyed upon, with lizards mostly being eaten by young snakes. Avian prey include mockingbirds (''[[Mimidae]]''), [[quail]], a nearly full-grown [[Gambel's quail]], a [[burrowing owl]] (''Athene cunicularia''),<ref name="Kla97"/> a fledgling [[horned lark]] (''Eremophila alpestris'') a [[black-throated sparrow]] (''Amphispiza bilineata''), and an [[eastern meadowlark]] (''Sturnella magna'').<ref name="Nor-C&L04"/> Lizard prey include a whiptail lizard (''[[Cnemidophorus]]''), spiny lizards (''[[Sceloporus]]''), a [[Texas banded gecko]] (''Coleonyx brevis''),<ref name="Kla97"/> and a side-blotched lizard (''[[Uta palmeri]]''). One case reported by Vorhies (1948) involved a juvenile specimen that had attempted to eat a horned lizard (''[[Phrynosoma solare]]''), but died after the lizard's horns had punctured its [[esophagus]], leaving the lizard stuck there.<ref name="Nor-C&L04"/>

Hermann (1950) reported ''C. atrox'' also feeds on lubber grasshoppers (''[[Brachystola magna]]''). Klauber (1972) once found a single specimen in which the stomach contents included grasshoppers, beetles, and ants. However, mammal hairs and an [[iguanid]] lizard were also found in the same stomach, which made it more likely that the insects had first been eaten by the mammal or the lizard before they had been eaten by the snake.<ref name="Kla97"/>

They hunt (or ambush prey) at night or in the early morning.

These snakes can go for up to two years without food in the wild. A ((frac|5|1|2))-month starvation study showed the snakes reduced energy expenditures by an average of 80% over the length of the study. The snakes also feed from within on energy-rich lipid stores. The most interesting finding was the snakes grew during the study, indicating while the snake's mass was shrinking, it was putting its resources into skeletal muscles and bone.<ref>((cite journal |first1=Marshall D. |last1=McCue |year=2006 |title=Characterizing the starvation syndrome in the western diamond-back rattlesnake, a species well-suited to tolerate long-term fasting |journal=The FASEB Journal |volume=20 |issue=5 |pages=A827 |doi=10.1096/fasebj.20.5.A827 |doi-access=free))
*((cite press release |date=April 6, 2006 |title=Why Does A Starving Diamond-Back Continue To Grow? Optimism! |website=ScienceDaily |url=https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/04/060406101718.htm))</ref>

A key participant in the [[food chain]], it is an important predator of many small rodents, rabbits, and birds. In turn, it is preyed upon by a variety of larger mammals and birds, such as [[coyote]]s, [[fox]]es, [[hawk]]s, and [[owl]]s. ''Crotalus atrox'' can be active at any time of the day or night when conditions are favorable. It is primarily diurnal and crepuscular in spring and fall and becomes primarily nocturnal and crepuscular during the hot summer months.<ref>[http://www.reptilesofaz.org/Snakes-Subpages/h-c-atrox.html Western Diamond-backed Rattlesnake (''Crotalus atrox'') – Reptiles of Arizona] ((Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151030183811/http://www.reptilesofaz.org/Snakes-Subpages/h-c-atrox.html |date=2015-10-30 )). Reptilesofaz.org. Retrieved on 2016-12-26.</ref> It is also an [[intermediate host]] of an intestinal [[acanthocephala]]n parasitic worm, ''[[Pachysentis canicola]]''.<ref name = Bolette1997>((cite journal |last1=Bolette |first1=David P. |title=First Record of ''Pachysentis canicola'' (Acanthocephala: Oligacanthorhynchida) and the Occurrence of ''Mesocestoides'' sp. Tetrathyridia (Cestoidea: Cyclophyllidea) in the Western Diamondback Rattlesnake, ''Crotalus atrox'' (Serpentes: Viperidae) |journal=The Journal of Parasitology |date=August 1997 |volume=83 |issue=4 |pages=751–752 |doi=10.2307/3284256|jstor=3284256 |pmid= 9267421))</ref><ref name=Carbajal2018>((cite journal |url= | doi=10.1007/s12639-018-1001-3| title=Endoparasites of ''Crotalus tzabcan'' (Serpentes: Viperidae), with a checklist in rattlesnakes| year=2018| last1=Carbajal-Márquez| first1=Rubén Alonso| last2=González-Solís| first2=David| last3=Cedeño-Vázquez| first3=J. Rogelio| journal=Journal of Parasitic Diseases| volume=42| issue=2| pages=303–314| pmid=29844637| pmc=5962485))</ref>

They are one of the few species of snakes that engage in scavenging behavior.<ref>((cite journal |last1=GILLINGHAM |first1=JAMES C. |last2=BAKER |first2=RANDY E. |title=Evidence for Scavenging Behavior in the Western Diamondback Rattlesnake (Crotalus atrox) |journal=Ethology |date=January–December 1981 |volume=55 |issue=3 |pages=217–227 |doi=10.1111/j.1439-0310.1981.tb01270.x |url=https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1439-0310.1981.tb01270.x))</ref>

==Venom==
[[File:Crotale diamantin 40.JPG|thumb|''C. atrox'']]
Like most other American [[pit viper]]s, the venom contains [[Proteolysis|proteolytic]] enzymes. Proteolytic venoms are concentrated secretions that destroy structural tissues and proteins via catabolism, which help in disabling prey. The venom of ''C. atrox'' is primarily [[Hemotoxin|hemotoxic]], affecting mainly the blood vessels, blood cells and the heart. The venom contains hemorrhagic components called [[Metalloproteinase|zinc metalloproteinases]].<ref name=Hemorrahagic>((cite journal|doi=10.3109/15569548809059729|title=Hemorrhagic Toxins from Snake Venoms|year=1988|last1=Bjarnason|first1=Jon Bragi|last2=Fox|first2=Jay William|journal=[[Toxin Reviews]]|volume=7|issue=2|pages=121–209))</ref><ref name=Hemorrhagic2>((cite journal|doi=10.1021/bi00609a033|title=Hemorrhagic toxins from western diamondback rattlesnake (''Crotalus atrox'') venom: Isolation and characterization of five toxins and the role of zinc in hemorrhagic toxin e|year=1978|last1=Bjarnason|first1=Jon B.|last2=Tu|first2=Anthony T.|journal=Biochemistry|volume=17|issue=16|pages=3395–404|pmid=210790))</ref> The venom also contains [[Cytotoxicity|cytotoxins]] and [[myotoxin]]s which destroy cells and muscles, adding to the damage to the cardiovascular system.<ref name=CMTOXINS>((cite journal|doi=10.1021/pr900249q|title=Exploring the Venom Proteome of the Western Diamondback Rattlesnake, ''Crotalus atrox'', via Snake Venomics and Combinatorial Peptide Ligand Library Approaches|year=2009|last1=Calvete|first1=Juan J.|last2=Fasoli|first2=Elisa|last3=Sanz|first3=Libia|last4=Boschetti|first4=Egisto|last5=Righetti|first5=Pier Giorgio|journal=Journal of Proteome Research|volume=8|issue=6|pages=3055–67|pmid=19371136))</ref> In addition to hemorrhage, venom metalloproteinases induce myonecrosis ([[Gas gangrene|skeletal muscle damage]]), which seems to be secondary to the [[ischemia]] that ensues in muscle tissue as a consequence of bleeding and reduced perfusion. Microvascular disruption by metalloproteinases also impairs skeletal muscle regeneration, being thereby responsible for [[fibrosis]] and permanent tissue loss.<ref name=Metalloproteinases>((cite journal|doi=10.1016/S0300-9084(00)01163-9|title=Snake venom metalloproteinases:Their role in the pathogenesis of local tissue damage|year=2000|last1=Gutiérrez|first1=J|journal=Biochimie|volume=82|issue=9–10|pages=841–50|pmid=11086214|last2=Rucavado|first2=A))</ref> General local effects include pain, heavy internal bleeding, severe swelling, severe muscle damage, bruising, blistering, and necrosis; systemic effects are variable and not specific, but may include headache, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, dizziness, and convulsions. Bleeding caused by hemorrhagins is a major clinical effect that can be fatal.<ref name="WCH">[http://www.toxinology.com/fusebox.cfm?fuseaction=main.snakes.display&id=SN0419 Clinical Toxinology Resource (''Crotalus atrox'')]. Toxinology.com. Retrieved on 2016-12-26.</ref>

This species has ((LD50)) values of 2.72&nbsp;mg/kg [[Intravenous therapy|intravenous]], 20&nbsp;mg/kg [[Intramuscular injection|intramuscular]] and 18.5&nbsp;mg/kg [[Subcutaneous tissue#Injection|subcutaneous]], which is far less toxic than many other rattlesnakes.<ref name="Thomas">[http://www.seanthomas.net/oldsite/ld50tot.html Sean Thomas LD50] ((Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120201062634/http://www.seanthomas.net/oldsite/ld50tot.html |date=2012-02-01 )). Seanthomas.net. Retrieved on 2016-12-26.</ref><ref name="Fry">Fry, Bryan Grieg. [https://web.archive.org/web/20120413182323/http://www.venomdoc.com/LD50/LD50men.html LD50 Menu]. venomdoc.com</ref> However, because of its large venom glands and specialized fangs, the western diamondback rattlesnake can deliver a large amount of venom in a single bite. The average venom yield per bite is usually between 250 and 350&nbsp;mg, with a maximum of 700–800&nbsp;mg.<ref name="Nor-C&L04"/><ref name="Brown73">Brown JH. (1973). ''Toxicology and Pharmacology of Venoms from Poisonous Snakes''. Springfield, Illinois: Charles C. Thomas. LCCCN 73–229. ((ISBN|0-398-02808-7)).((Page needed|date=March 2013))</ref> Severe envenomation is rare but possible, and can be lethal. Mortality rate of untreated bites is between 10 and 20%.<ref name="WCH"/>

==Reproduction==
[[File:Rattlesnake Hemipenes.jpg|thumb|A male ''Crotalus atrox'' with a pair of [[intromittent organ]]s called [[hemipenes]], used for reproduction]]
Rattlesnakes, including ''C. atrox'', are [[viviparous]]. Gestation lasts six or seven months, and broods average about a dozen young. However, the young stay with the mother for only a few hours before they set off on their own to hunt and find cover, so that the mortality rate is very high. Mating occurs in the fall, and the females give birth to as many as 25 young, which may be as long as ((convert|30|cm|in|abbr=on)). The young are fully capable of delivering a venomous bite from the moment they are born.

==Conservation status==
This species is classified as Least Concern on the [[IUCN Red List]] (v3.1, 2001).<ref name="iucn status 19 November 2021" /> Species are listed as such due to their wide distribution or presumed large population, or because they are unlikely to be declining fast enough to qualify for listing in a more threatened category. The population trend was stable when assessed in 2007.<ref name="ICUN-31">((Redlist CC2001|date=13 September|year=2007))</ref>

They are also heavily collected from the wild, frequently being drawn out of their hiding places with gasoline and used in [[rattlesnake roundup]]s, where they are killed for food, skins and entertainment.

This Western diamondback rattlesnake may be the most common rattlesnake species found in homes and in direct conflict with human development in the [[American Southwest]], in particularly in the rapidly expanding metro areas of [[Phoenix, Arizona|Phoenix]] and [[Tucson]].<ref>L. Pitts, Steven & Hughes, Bryan & Mali, Ivana. (2017). Rattlesnake Nuisance Removals and Urban Expansion in Phoenix, Arizona. Western North American Naturalist. 73. 309-3016. 10.3398/064.077.0304.</ref> Relocation of animals is seen as a sometimes controversial management solution.<ref>Nowak, E.M., Hare, T, & McNally, J (2002). Management of ''nuisance'' vipers: effects of translocation on western diamondback rattlesnakes (Crotalus atrox). Biology of the Vipers, 533-560</ref>

==Gallery==
<gallery>
Image:Albino Crotalus_atrox.jpg|''C. atrox'', albino specimen
Image:Melanistic_Crotalus_atrox.jpg|''C. atrox'', melanistic specimen
Image:Crotalus atrox Portrait 070731.jpg|''C. atrox''
Image:Crotalus atrox CDC.png|''C. atrox''
</gallery>

==References==
((Reflist))

==Further reading==
((Refbegin))

* [[Spencer Fullerton Baird|Baird, S.F.]] & [[Charles Frédéric Girard|C. Girard]]. 1853. ''Catalogue of North American Reptiles in the Museum of the Smithsonian Institution. Part I. – Serpents.'' Smithsonian Institution. Washington, District of Columbia. xvi + 172 pp. (''Crotalus atrox'', pp.&nbsp;5–6.)
* Yancey FD II, Meinzer W, Jones C. 1997. Aberrant morphology in western diamondback rattlesnakes (''Crotalus atrox''). Occasional Papers of the Museum of Texas Tech University, 167: 1–4. [http://www.nsrl.ttu.edu/publications/opapers/ops/OP164.pdf PDF] at [http://www.nsrl.ttu.edu/ Natural Science Research Laboratory]. Accessed 26 August 2007.
* Richards, I. S., & Bourgeois, M. M. (2014). Principles and practice of toxicology in public health (2nd ed.). Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.
((Refend))

==External links==
((Commons category|Crotalus atrox))
* ((NRDB species|genus=Crotalus|species=atrox|date=26 August|year=2007))
*[http://depts.washington.edu/natmap/facts/western_diamondback_rattlesnake_712.html Western Diamondback Rattlesnake Facts & Photos] at the [http://www.washington.edu/ University of Washington]. Accessed 1 September 2008.
* [http://venom-center.com/species/crotalinae/crotalus/atrox.html ''Crotalus atrox care sheet''] at [http://www.venom-center.com.com/ VenomCenter.com]

((Taxonbar|from=Q222287))
((Authority control))

[[Category:Crotalus]]
[[Category:Fauna of the Sonoran Desert]]
[[Category:Fauna of the Mojave Desert]]
[[Category:Fauna of the Colorado Desert]]
[[Category:Fauna of the Southwestern United States]]
[[Category:Fauna of Gulf of California islands]]
[[Category:Reptiles of the United States]]
[[Category:Reptiles of Mexico]]
[[Category:Reptiles described in 1853|Western diamondback rattlesnake]]
[[Category:Taxa named by Spencer Fullerton Baird|Western diamondback rattlesnake]]

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