Lincoln Park Zoo

Common name: Aruba Island rattlesnake
Latin Name: Crotalus durissus unicolor

Class: Reptiles & Amphibians
Order:    Serpentes

Description
Small, pale gray or gray brown; patterned with overlapping dorsal scales, pale brown in color and triangular in shape. The head and neck are patterned with a pair of stripes that may extend well onto the body. The pattern is often vague or virtually absent. Average adult length is 3 feet.

Range
Aruba Island

Status
Currently listed as threatened by the U.S. Endangered Species Act.

Habitat
Rocky hillsides, rock slides, and adjacent rocky, sandy fields (habitat dominated by desert flora).

Niche
Nocturnal during the warmer months, active in early morning and late afternoon during the rest of the year. Diet includes small rodents and birds, and Teiid lizards.

Life History
These snakes have small litters of live young. The young are 8 inches in length and have fully functioning venom sacs or glands at birth. Longevity is 15-20+ years.

2

Special Adaptations

  • Heat sensing pits help the snake locate prey.
  • The rattle at the end of the tail warns off enemies and acts as a first line of defense.