● Venomous · Native to the United States

Mojave rattlesnake

Crotalus scutulatus (Kennicott, 1861)

Also called Mohave rattlesnake, Mojave green
Data updated October 2026

Olive-green Mojave rattlesnake on desert sand, showing pale-edged diamond blotches and a banded tail
Fig. 1 — Adult on a desert flat, showing the pale-edged diamonds and the greenish tint behind its “Mojave green” nickname.
Close view of a Mojave rattlesnake's tail with wide pale rings and narrow dark rings ending in a rattle
Fig. 2 — The pale tail rings are wider than the dark ones.

At a glance

A desert rattlesnake of the US Southwest and northern Mexico that looks a lot like the western diamondback. In much of its range its venom is strongly neurotoxic, making it one of the most dangerous snakes in North America. Every bite needs emergency care.

01

Identification

A medium to large rattlesnake, tan, gray-brown or olive, often with a greenish wash. Dark, pale-edged diamonds run down the back and turn into crossbands toward the tail. The tail has wide pale rings and narrower dark rings. A thin pale stripe runs from behind the eye back past the corner of the mouth. Like all pit vipers it has a heat-sensing pit between each eye and nostril and vertical pupils.

  1. 01Large head scales. A few large scales sit on top of the head between the eyes, where most rattlesnakes have many small ones. This is the most reliable clue and the source of the name scutulatus.
  2. 02Wide pale tail rings. The light tail rings are clearly wider than the dark ones.
  3. 03Clean-edged diamonds. The back blotches are evenly colored with crisp pale borders, a bit tidier than a western diamondback’s.

Commonly confused with

02

Size

01 ft2 ft3 ft4 ft Typical adult · about 36 in (91 cm)

Most adults are 2 to 4 feet (61–122 cm) long. The largest reach about 50 to 54 inches. The neck is slender compared with the broad, triangular head. Newborns have only a single silent button on the tail and add a segment at each shed.

03

Range & habitat

Open creosote bush flat in the Mojave Desert, typical Mojave rattlesnake habitat
Fig. 3 — Flat, sparsely vegetated creosote bush desert is prime Mojave rattlesnake habitat.

Mojave rattlesnakes live in the deserts of southeastern California, southern Nevada, southwestern Utah, Arizona, New Mexico and the Trans-Pecos of west Texas, and south across the Chihuahuan Desert and Mexican Plateau. They favor fairly level ground: creosote bush flats, low valleys, gentle bajadas and rolling foothills, along with mesquite, cactus and Joshua tree woodland and desert grassland. They usually avoid steep, rocky slopes and dense brush.

State guides: Texas

04

Diet & predators

Mojave rattlesnakes specialize in small mammals. Kangaroo rats are a favorite, along with pocket mice, wood rats and other rodents. They also take small rabbits, lizards and the occasional bird or toad. Like other rattlesnakes they strike, let go, and then track the bitten prey by scent.

Feeds on

  • Kangaroo rats
  • Mice and wood rats
  • Young rabbits
  • Lizards, birds and toads

Preyed on by

  • Hawks and other raptors
  • Coyotes and kit foxes
  • Kingsnakes
Small desert rodent on sand
Prey — rodents.
Red-tailed hawk in flight
Predator — hawks.

05

Behavior & seasons

From about April through September Mojave rattlesnakes are mostly active at night and at dusk, when the desert cools. When threatened they may rattle steadily, raise the front of the body into a high S-shaped coil and back slowly toward cover. Stories of them “chasing” people are most likely a snake trying to reach shelter that happens to be behind the person. Most bites happen when someone handles or harasses a snake.

In late fall and winter they brumate, often in old rodent burrows, slowing their metabolism and going months without food. The venom varies by region: across much of the range it contains a strong nerve-acting toxin, while some populations in central Arizona have venom that mainly affects blood and tissue.

06

Reproduction

Mojave rattlesnakes give birth to live young. Mating takes place in spring and summer, and young are born in mid to late summer. Litters usually hold somewhere between 2 and 11 young, with up to 17 recorded. The newborns get no parental care and are venomous from birth.

07

Conservation

The Mojave rattlesnake is not listed under the US Endangered Species Act and is still widespread in suitable desert. Local threats include road mortality on desert highways, habitat loss to development and agriculture, and persecution.

08 — Bite safety

If someone is bitten

Mojave rattlesnake bites are a medical emergency. Every bite needs medical care. Call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department. For guidance, call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. If a pet is bitten, take it to a veterinarian right away.

This page does not give first-aid or treatment instructions. Read our safety disclaimer.

Keep reading

Sources

Data updated October 2026 · How we build these pages