● Venomous · Native to the United States

Sidewinder

Crotalus cerastes Hallowell, 1854

Also called horned rattlesnake
Data updated October 2026

Sidewinder rattlesnake on pale desert sand, its sandy body patterned with soft brown blotches
Fig. 1 — Adult on open sand, its pale blotched pattern matching the desert floor.
Close view of a sidewinder's head showing the pointed horn-like scales above each eye
Fig. 2 — Pointed, horn-like scales stand up above each eye.

At a glance

A small, pale rattlesnake of the low sandy deserts of the Southwest, known for its horn-like eye scales and its sideways crawl that leaves J-shaped tracks. It spends hot days in burrows or buried in sand. Every bite needs emergency care.

01

Identification

A small, rough-scaled rattlesnake colored like the sand it lives on: tan, pinkish-tan, cream or light gray, with soft brown blotches down the back and chalky pale skin between them. A dark stripe runs back from each eye, and the tail tip has dark rings before the rattle. Like all pit vipers it has a heat-sensing pit between each eye and nostril and vertical pupils.

  1. 01Horns over the eyes. An upturned, pointed scale above each eye looks like a small horn. No other US rattlesnake has them.
  2. 02Sideways crawl. It throws loops of its body sideways across the sand, leaving a row of separate, parallel J-shaped marks rather than one continuous trail.
  3. 03Small and pale. Most adults are under about 2 feet, much smaller than other desert rattlesnakes in the same area.

Commonly confused with

02

Size

01 ft2 ft3 ft4 ft Typical adult · about 20 in (51 cm)

Sidewinders are among the smallest rattlesnakes in the US. Most adults are about 18 to 25 inches (46–64 cm) long, and only a few grow larger. The neck is slender and the head broad and triangular.

03

Range & habitat

Sand dunes with scattered creosote bushes, typical sidewinder habitat
Fig. 3 — Dune fields and sandy creosote flats are home ground for sidewinders.

Sidewinders live in the Mojave and Sonoran deserts of southeastern California, southern Nevada, southwestern Utah and western Arizona, and south into northwestern Mexico. They are most common in open, flat desert with loose sand or sandy soil: dune fields, creosote and mesquite flats and sandy washes. They are found from below sea level in places like Death Valley up to a few thousand feet, and only rarely on rocky slopes.

04

Diet & predators

Sidewinders are ambush hunters. They often wait half-buried in sand at the base of a shrub and strike lizards or small rodents that pass by. Lizards and desert rodents such as pocket mice and kangaroo rats make up most of the diet. Birds and small snakes are eaten now and then.

Feeds on

  • Lizards
  • Pocket mice and kangaroo rats
  • Small birds
  • Small snakes

Preyed on by

  • Owls
  • Eagles and hawks
  • Desert carnivores such as coyotes
Small desert rodent at night
Prey — small rodents.
Hawk perched on a desert snag
Predator — raptors.

05

Behavior & seasons

Sidewinding lets the snake move quickly over loose sand while only small parts of its body touch the hot ground at any moment. In spring sidewinders are often out by day and at dusk. In summer they switch to dawn, dusk and night, and spend the hot hours in rodent burrows.

To hide, a sidewinder shuffles side to side until it sinks into the sand, leaving a shallow crater with only its head and coils showing. Tracks that end in a small round dip may lead to a buried snake. Its camouflage makes it hard to spot, and many are seen crossing desert roads at night.

06

Reproduction

Sidewinders give birth to live young. Mating takes place in spring and summer. Young are born in late summer, around July to September. Litters average about 8 to 10 young, with up to 20 recorded. Newborns are tiny but fully venomous and on their own from birth.

07

Conservation

The sidewinder is not listed under the US Endangered Species Act and remains common in large areas of open desert. Locally it can be rare: a 2024 survey at Saguaro National Park found only a few dozen, with roads and development breaking up habitat and many snakes killed by traffic. Off-road driving on dunes and urban growth are other local threats.

08 — Bite safety

If someone is bitten

Sidewinder 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