Crotalus mitchellii

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Population

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

Conservation Actions

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Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	REPTILIA	SQUAMATA	VIPERIDAE

Scientific Name:

Crotalus mitchellii

Species Authority:

(Cope, 1861)

Common Name/s:

English

–

Speckled Rattlesnake

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:	Least Concern ver 3.1
Year Published:	2007
Assessor/s:	Frost, D.R., Hammerson, G.A. & Gadsden, H.
Reviewer/s:	Cox, N., Chanson, J.S. & Stuart, S.N. (Global Reptile Assessment Coordinating Team)
Contributor/s:
Justification: Listed as Least Concern in view of its wide distribution, presumed large population, and because it is unlikely to be declining fast enough to qualify for listing in a more threatened category.

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	The species' range extends from southwestern Utah, southern Nevada, southeastern California, and western Arizona in the United States, south to the tip of Baja California (including islands in the Gulf of California and Isla Santa Margarita off the Pacific coast) and extreme northwestern Sonora, Mexico, at elevations from sea level to about 2,440m asl (8,000 feet) (Grismer 2002, Stebbins 2003).
Countries:	Native: Mexico; United States
Range Map:	Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Population [top]

Population:	This species is represented by a large number of occurrences (subpopulations). On a range-wide scale, Campbell and Lamar (2004) mapped more than 200 collection sites. The adult population size is unknown but probably exceeds 100,000. This snake is fairly common in many areas of suitable habitat. Its extent of occurrence, area of occupancy, number of subpopulations, and population size are probably relatively stable.
Population Trend:	Stable

Population:

This species is represented by a large number of occurrences (subpopulations). On a range-wide scale, Campbell and Lamar (2004) mapped more than 200 collection sites. The adult population size is unknown but probably exceeds 100,000. This snake is fairly common in many areas of suitable habitat. Its extent of occurrence, area of occupancy, number of subpopulations, and population size are probably relatively stable.

Population Trend:

Stable

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	The typical habitat of this species includes canyons, foothills, buttes, and erosion gullies of rocky desert areas (Lowe et al. 1986, Ernst and Ernst 2003); sometimes this snake ranges away from rocks into sandy arroyos or onto desert flats with shrubs and animal burrows for cover (Grismer 2002, Stebbins 2003). Vegetation may include sagebrush, creosote bush, cacti, thorn scrub, chaparral (uncommonly), or pinyon-juniper woodland (Stebbins 2003). This is a terrestrial species that occasionally climbs into low vegetation. When inactive, it occurs under rocks or bushes or in crevices, caves, abandoned mines, or animal burrows.
Systems:	Terrestrial

Habitat and Ecology:

The typical habitat of this species includes canyons, foothills, buttes, and erosion gullies of rocky desert areas (Lowe et al. 1986, Ernst and Ernst 2003); sometimes this snake ranges away from rocks into sandy arroyos or onto desert flats with shrubs and animal burrows for cover (Grismer 2002, Stebbins 2003). Vegetation may include sagebrush, creosote bush, cacti, thorn scrub, chaparral (uncommonly), or pinyon-juniper woodland (Stebbins 2003). This is a terrestrial species that occasionally climbs into low vegetation. When inactive, it occurs under rocks or bushes or in crevices, caves, abandoned mines, or animal burrows.

Systems:

Terrestrial

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	No major threats to this species are known.

Major Threat(s):

No major threats to this species are known.

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	Many occurrences of this species are in protected areas.

Conservation Actions:

Many occurrences of this species are in protected areas.

Citation:	Frost, D.R., Hammerson, G.A. & Gadsden, H. 2007. Crotalus mitchellii. In: IUCN 2012. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2012.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 26 May 2013.
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