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A sandy-colored sidewinder rattlesnake coiled on gravel.
Photo: Tigerhawkvok (edited by Victorrocha), CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Sidewinder

Crotalus cerastes

A small desert rattlesnake of the southwestern U.S. and Mexico that moves sideways across loose sand, making it the fastest rattlesnake.

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About the Sidewinder

Sidewinders live in very sandy parts of the Mojave and Sonoran Deserts of the southwestern U.S. and Mexico. Their special sideways way of moving works well on shifting sand and makes them the fastest-moving rattlesnakes. During the hot day they wiggle down into the sand in the shade of a bush. At night they roam and smell for prey, eating almost only rodents and lizards.[1]

Quick facts

Scientific name
Crotalus cerastes[1]
Lifespan
20 years or more.[1]
Diet
Carnivore. Almost only rodents and lizards, such as kangaroo rats.[1]
Habitat
Very sandy desert areas.[1]
Where it lives
The Mojave and Sonoran Deserts of the southwestern U.S. and nearby Mexico.[1]
Group life
Mostly active at night. Hibernates in winter.[1]
Babies
Live-born young, guarded by the mother until their first shed.[1]
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN Red List, assessed 2007).[2]

Fun facts

  • Sidewinders are the fastest-moving rattlesnakes.[1]
  • Scientists studied sidewinders to build snake robots that cross sand.[1]
  • A sidewinder twitches its tail as a lure while buried in sand.[1]

Vocabulary

locomotion
The way an animal moves from place to place.
venomous
Able to inject poison by biting or stinging.
lure
Something used to attract an animal closer.
hibernate
To spend the winter in a deep, inactive sleep.
pit viper
A snake with heat-sensing pits on its face, such as a rattlesnake.

See it in person

Sources

  1. [1] Zoo Atlanta. “Sidewinder.” https://zooatlanta.org/animal/colorado-desert-sidewinder/ (accessed 2026-10-02)
  2. [2] IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. “Crotalus cerastes.” https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/64315/12764960 (accessed 2026-10-02)

Facts last checked 2026-10-02.

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