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An eastern diamondback rattlesnake with dark diamond markings coiled on the ground.
Photo: Caudatejake, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake

Crotalus adamanteus

The largest venomous snake in the United States, a quiet, reclusive rattlesnake of southeastern pine forests.

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About the Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake

Eastern diamondback rattlesnakes are the largest venomous snakes in the U.S., reaching almost 8 feet. They live mostly in longleaf pine forests, sandhills and coastal scrub, and healthy populations now remain mainly in southern Georgia and Florida. They eat mostly small mammals like cotton rats and rabbits. Despite their size, they are quiet snakes that do little harm unless bothered.[1]

Quick facts

Scientific name
Crotalus adamanteus[1]
Size
Up to almost 8 feet long. Males are larger.[1]
Lifespan
Can live more than 20 years.[1]
Diet
Carnivore. Mostly small mammals such as cotton rats and rabbits, plus some birds.[1]
Habitat
Longleaf pine forests, sandhills, pine flatwoods and coastal scrub.[1]
Where it lives
Once the southeastern Coastal Plain from Louisiana to North Carolina and Florida; now mainly southern Georgia and Florida.[1]
Babies
Up to 20 live-born babies, guarded by the mother until their first shed.[1]
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN Red List, assessed 2007).[2]

Fun facts

  • It is the largest venomous snake in the United States.[1]
  • You can't tell a rattlesnake's age by counting its rattles.[1]
  • Opossums are immune to its venom.[1]
  • An 18-inch rattlesnake can be a newborn.[1]

Vocabulary

venomous
Able to inject poison by biting or stinging.
pit viper
A snake with heat-sensing pits on its face, such as a rattlesnake.
shed
To lose an old outer layer of skin.
live birth
When babies are born instead of hatching from eggs.
longleaf pine
A tall pine tree that once covered much of the southeastern U.S.

See it in person

Sources

  1. [1] Zoo Atlanta. “Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake.” https://zooatlanta.org/animal/eastern-diamondback-rattlesnake/ (accessed 2026-10-02)
  2. [2] IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. “Crotalus adamanteus.” https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/64308/12762249 (accessed 2026-10-02)

Facts last checked 2026-10-02.

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