prairie rattlesnake

Description:

The Western Rattlesnake (Crotalus viridis ) has one of the largest home ranges of rattlesnakes in North America. This rattlesnake or its subspecies can be found in the Canadian provinces and southward across the central United States to Mexico. In South Dakota, the subspecies is called the Prairie Rattlesnake (C. v. viridis ) and found 10-15 miles east of the Missouri River and western South Dakota, in the open prairies, haylands, and croplands -- any area with an abundance of food.