The eastern diamondback rattlesnake, or Crotalus adamanteus, is a venomous snake in the pit viper, or viripidae, family. They are known to occupy a small region, spanning from Mississippi to Florida, and north along the coastline to South Carolina in coastal areas.
Their weight is significant, as they are the heaviest of North American poisonous snakes. Their length is surpassed by other pit vipers in North America.
Their markings are mottled brown, brownish-yellow, olive and grey hues with between twenty-four to thirty-five distinctive black diamond shapes dorsally. The diamonds are light colored in the center.. Towards the tail, these shapes flatten to appear more like bands or stripes. A single, dark stripe extends from the crown of their mouths to just behind the eye, and is bordered by a white or yellow stripe.
This species inhabits areas with marshes or pines and palmettos, or sometimes prairies. Occasionally they will dwell in old burrows of other animals, such as gopher tortoises and gophers in extremes of summer and winter.
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