This small (20-24 inches long) rattlesnake can be found in seasonally dry pine-oak forest in several south-central Mexican states, and can sometimes be found in montane scrublands.

This species is typically found between 6500ft (1981m) and 12000ft (3658m) elevation. Individuals have been found as high as 4080m (13385ft) up the slope of the volcanic peak Pico de Orizaba - this discovery means that either the snakes are migrating to higher elevation as a result of climate change; or that their presence in higher-elevations was previously under-sampled and tolerance for higher altitude environments underestimated.

Fun fact: This species, Crotalus intermedius, was separated into several different populations and have begun to diverge due to the warming of the climate and loss of connecting habitat since the Quaternary Period thousands of years ago. Cooler periods which allow for its habitat to expand downward may allow for reconnectivity and gene flow in the future.