Pigmy Rattlesnake (Sistrurus millarius)
- Height: 1″-2″
- Length: 15″-25″
- Weight: 1-2 pounds
- Diet: Carnivorous, eating small amphibians, rodents, and insects.
- Breeding: Occurs Setpember – October.
- Gestation: 10 – 11 months.
- Reproduction: 4-7 young born in August.
- Habitat: Variety of habitats including pine forests, open ares, wooded areas, close to water sources.
- Legal Status: In certain areas of Tennessee, and illegal to harm, capture, or remove from the wild in Tennessee. It is listed as threatened by the TWRA, and imperiled by Tennessee Department of Environment and conservation.
- Other Names: Western Pigmy Rattlesnake, Dusky Pigmy Rattlesnake, Ground Rattlesnake, and Strecker’s Pigmy Rattlesnake.
- Interesting Facts: The pigmy rattlesnakes rattle can lightly be heard from 3 ft away. Juvinile pigmy rattlesnakes have a yellow tipped tail, to mimic a worm, to lure small rodents and amphibians for a closer look.
The Pigmy Rattlesnake has a very small rattle compared to other rattlesnakes which can seldomly be heard and it blends in with ground cover exceptionally well. They only average between 14″ an 30″ in length. They are active March through October and can give live birth to 3-8 young.
Preferred foods of the Pygmy tend to be lizards, frogs, and small rodents. Do not let their size fool you. They will act much larger and can be aggressive. With heat sensory pits it allows the snake to detect and accurately strike warm bodied prey.