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Reptiles
Eastern Black-tailed Rattlesnake
Crotalus ornatus
Authorship: Baird and Girard
Notes
It was elevated from a subspecies of C. molossus by Anderson and Greenbaum, 2012.
Records
It is nearly ubiquitous on IMRS in rocky areas.
Sources
[Anderson and Greenbaum, 2012, Couvillon, 2011a, b, Miranda et al., 2008]
Taxonomic Classification
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumChordata (Chordates)
SubphylumVERTEBRATA (Vertebrates)
ClassReptilia (Reptiles)
OrderSquamata (Lizards and Snakes)
SuborderSerpentes (Snakes)
FamilyVIPERIDAE (Viper Family)
GenusCrotalus
Speciesornatus
Recent Observations
Sourced from iNaturalist
Crotalus ornatus (opens in new tab)IMRS
IMRS
IMRS
IMRS
IMRS
IMRS
IMRS
IMRS
IMRS
IMRS
IMRSjadewnelsMay 2, 2026South Guest Ranch Road, Fort Hancock, TX, US
Eastern Black-tailed Rattlesnake (opens in new tab)IMRShaybale03Apr 27, 2024Fort Hancock, TX, US
Eastern Black-tailed Rattlesnake (opens in new tab)IMRSsamherrenOct 12, 2023Fort Hancock, TX, US
Eastern Black-tailed Rattlesnake (opens in new tab)IMRSjnpuenteOct 12, 2023Fort Hancock, TX, US
Eastern Black-tailed Rattlesnake (opens in new tab)IMRSjmlopez28Oct 12, 2023Van Horn, TX 79855, USA
Eastern Black-tailed Rattlesnake (opens in new tab)IMRShighsingerMar 11, 2023Hudspeth County, TX, USA
Eastern Black-tailed Rattlesnake (opens in new tab)IMRSanalisaseMay 15, 2022Fort Hancock, TX, US
Eastern Black-tailed Rattlesnake (opens in new tab)IMRScypseloidesApr 30, 2022Hudspeth County, US-TX, US
Eastern Black-tailed Rattlesnake (opens in new tab)IMRShenicorhinaApr 30, 2022Fort Hancock, TX, US
Eastern Black-tailed Rattlesnake (opens in new tab)IMRSacorral19Oct 30, 2021Fort Hancock, TX, US
Conservation assessments from the following sources:
- NatureServe Explorer
- IUCN Red List
- Texas Parks & Wildlife — Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN)
| IUCN Red List | Not assessed |
|---|---|
| NatureServe Global (opens in new tab) | GNRNot Ranked |
| NatureServe (Texas) (opens in new tab) | SNRNot Ranked |
| Texas SGCN | Not assessed |
Theses, papers, and notes featuring this species.
- Movement, home range size, and habitat use of Eastern Black-tailed Rattlesnakes (Crotalus ornatus) in the Chihuahuan Desert. (opens in new tab)Emerson, J. D., D. L. DeSantis, V. Mata-Silva, A. E. Wagler, and J. D. Johnson · 2022 · Herpetologica 78(2): 110–118 · Journal Article
- Behavioral ecology of a desert ambush predator: assessing movement patterns, habitat and microhabitat use, and the innate feeding response of Eastern Black-tailed Rattlesnakes (Crotalus ornatus) in the northern Chihuahuan Desert. (opens in new tab)Emerson, J. D. · 2020 · Dissertation
- Crotalus ornatus (Eastern Black-tailed Rattlesnake). Feeding Behavior. (opens in new tab)Emerson, J. D., and J. D. Johnson · 2020 · Herpetological Review 51(2): 346 · Natural History Note
- Crotalus molossus (Black-tailed Rattlesnake). Rain harvesting behavior. (opens in new tab)Mata-Silva, V., J. D. Johnson, and A. Rocha · 2012 · Herpetological Review 43(1): 145–146 · Natural History Note
- Ecological study of oxygen consumption in three species of rattlesnakes, Crotalus atrox, Crotalus lepidus, and Crotalus molossus (Viperidae) from the northern Chihuahuan Desert. (opens in new tab)Miranda, L. · 2009 · Thesis
- Crotalus molossus (Blacktail Rattlesnake). Morphology. (opens in new tab)Miranda, L. Jr., V. Mata-Silva, S. Dilks, H. Riveroll Jr., and J. D. Johnson · 2008 · Herpetological Review 39(1): 97 · Natural History Note