Photo credit:

Eric Centenero Alcala

Common name

Tlaloc's Rattlesnake

Scientific name

Crotalus tlaloci

Conservation Status

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Federal and State Protections

N/A

Countries of Occurrence

Mexico

States or Providence 

Guerrero, Estado de México, Michoacán, Morelos, and possibly into Puebla

Counties

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Adult size

60cm (24in) - 68.3cm (26.9in)

Species Description

This small to medium-sized rattlesnake occurs in Central Mexico at elevations of 6000 to 7800 ft. Their habitat is characterized by humid pine-oak forest with wide-leafed oaks and rocky clearings. Particular scales (intercanthals) on the head of Tlaloc's rattlesnake differentiate this species from similar species in the region along with scale counts and it's distinctive dark eyestripe.

Fun fact: Tlaloc's rattlesnake has a proportionally longer tail than most other rattlesnakes, especially in Central Mexico, that can be up to 11.3% of its body length in males!