The Prairie Rattlesnake is confined to the western half of the state although it is apparently absent from much of the Arkansas River drainage east of Ford County. A specimen (KU 2327) from "Republic County" (no specific locality) is not mapped due to its imprecise locality and the lack of corroborating specimens from adjacent Nebraska.
Additionally, the specimens from Barton, Ellsworth, Jewell, Mitchell, and Smith counties require corroboration. Larry Miller (pers. comm.) relayed information on a specimen he observed in Ellsworth County near the town of Kanopolis. Burt (1933) reported a specimen he collected 3 miles south of Ellsworth on 1 May 1927. Additionally, there are two ANSP specimens (ANSP 10742-3; Ft. Harker) from Ellsworth County. Further investigations are needed to verify that these individuals weren't introduced specimens.
Mozley (1877) reported a specimen from "Osborn City", presumably Osborne County, which is just at the eastern edge of its range. Corroborating specimens are desirable.
Halpin (1983) listed this species as "uncommon" at Quivira National Wildlife Refuge in Stafford County; however, there are no records from Quivira and no known native populations within 60 miles.
This snake prefers rocky canyons or open prairies with an abundance of small burrows, particularly those of the prairie dog. It is active from April to October at preferred air temperatures of 80-90°F.
This species has a daily activity cycle similar to that of the Timber Rattlesnake. Little is known of its home range or habits in Kansas. During extremely hot daytime temperatures, it retreats into small mammal burrows; during winter, it uses these burrows to avoid extreme cold.
Collins (1982) reported on a winter den used by Prairie Rattlesnakes in Ellis County; four adults of this species plus a Great Plains Ratsnake were observed sunning near the entrance on 22 April.
Taggart (1992) studied the habits of this snake in northwestern Kansas and observed that, on warmer days, even as early as March, it could be found sunning at the edge of den sites on south-facing hillsides with large rocks. As spring progressed, he observed that these reptiles moved away from the den sites toward open prairies. He found Prairie Rattlesnakes under large objects such as scrap piles in late afternoon and, on the hottest summer days, located them by probing with a stick in shady retreats under rock overhangs at the base of an outcrop. Taggart also recommended roadcruising at any time of the day on or above river floodplains in late spring and early summer, and during the summer, he had great success in finding these animals at night by road-hunting near prairies in association with rocky areas. He observed that after the first or second cold snap in fall, these serpents could be found at denning sites, such as hillsides with massive rocks, caves, wells, and mammal burrows.
Prairie Rattlesnakes mate in early spring after emergence from winter inactivity or in the fall. Females produce litters only every other year. Courtship resembles that of the Timber Rattlesnake.
The young are born in spring, summer, or fall (depending on the mating season) and are venomous at birth. Litters range in number from five to eighteen (Fitch, 1985), with an average of ten. Each newborn rattlesnake has a single button and gains an additional segment each time it sheds its skin. Females normally reach maturity in their third year (Fitch, 1985). Marr (1944) recorded two litters of 14 young each from females in Hamilton and Thomas counties. Species of Crotalus are viviparous and form well-vascularized chorioallantoic placentae, primarily functioning in gas exchange and fluid/ion regulation. Embryonic development is largely lecithotrophic, with yolk providing most of the organic energy. Available physiological and comparative data indicate limited but functional maternal nutrient transfer; overall, Crotalus represents predominantly lecithotrophic viviparity with modest placental contribution.
According to Smith (1956), this species feeds on rats, mice, gophers, and young prairie dogs. Knight and Collins (1977) reported this snake eating a Plains Pocket Mouse and a Six-lined Racerunner in Cheyenne County.
First reported in Kansas by Hallowell (1857) among the specimens received by the Academy of Natural Science from William A. Hammond, army surgeon stationed at Fort Riley. Burt (1933) referenced a specimen in the Kansas State College Museum (no longer exists) collected in July of 1885 and another collected in August 1903. The Museum of Comparative Zoology has two specimens (MCZ 2455, 4349) that were collected at "Ft. Hays, Kansas" by James A. Allen and cataloged with other material collected around 1865 to 1870, but they have no collection date themselves. Finally, USNM 22274 gives "Barner [Barber?], Kansas" as the locality and February 1875 as the date. The earliest existing specimen is from 1904 (KU 1617), collected at Wild Horse Creek in Graham County on 7 July 1904.
Relying primarily on anecdotal information in Klauber (1956), Fitch (1984) reported a 'drastic' population decline over the past 150 years and further noted that the decline was accelerating and that the species was legitimately facing extinction in the state. However, in the same report, he discusses the 70 specimens he observed in Morton County in 1984, and reports of 'Snake Hunters' catching and killing 150 in a day and 600 in a season.
Taggart (2006) found the Prairie Rattlesnake to be one of the most commonly encountered snakes in the western half of Kansas. It trails only the Gopher Snake in the total number of observations within its range.
Over time, local populations have certainly experienced fluctuations in population size and even in the distribution of age classes. And much of their former habitat has been converted to agriculture. However, at this point there is no evidence that the Prairie Rattlesnake has experienced a decline in numbers over the past 50, and based on the comments by Fitch (1984), population numbers may actually be increasing.
This species may be commercially harvested in Kansas and has been as recently as 1999 (Fitch, 1995, 1998; Schmidt, 2002; Schmidt and Stark, 2002), in conjunction with an organized Wallace County round-up that began in 1991. The typical harvest of Prairie Rattlesnakes during the round-ups was 300-400 specimens per year. This harvest is small with respect to the considerable mortality this species experiences annually on Kansas highways alone. However, it is unknown what effects the take has on local populations that are repeatedly harvested each year.
Demographic data are needed to model these effects and more effectively manage the harvest. Schmidt and Stark (2002) provide such information for populations in Logan County; however, those data are also needed for other populations in the state, specifically, those that den communally.
Burt (1935) reported a large specimen that was secured from a pasture three miles west of Syracuse, Hamilton County, Kansas, on 27 May 1934.
Bailey et al. (1989) recorded a maximum longevity for this species of 27 years and 9 months, based on a captive specimen from Kearny County.
Unlike the Timber Rattlesnake, this snake is quite aggressive and has a nasty disposition. It invariably rattles when approached too closely and should be avoided.
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Fitch, Henry S. 2002. A comparison of growth and rattle string in three species of rattlesnakes. Scientific Papers of the Natural History Museum, University of Kansas (24):1-6.
Fitch, Henry S. 2003. Rattlesnake roundup summary. Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks, Pratt, Kansas. 14 pp.
Fitch, Henry S. 2003. Reproduction in rattlesnakes of the Sharon Springs, Kansas, roundup. Journal of Kansas Herpetology (8):23-24.
Schmidt, Curtis J. 2004. Natural history and status of the exploited Prairie Rattlesnake (Crotalus viridis) in western Kansas and a herpetofaunal inventory of the Smoky Valley Ranch, Logan County, Kansas. Thesis. Fort Hays State University, Hays, Kansas. 170 pp.
Fitch, Henry S. 2004. Kansas rattlesnake reports, 1992 to Present. Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks, Pratt, Kansas. 60 pp.
Delisle, Jennifer M. and William H. Busby. 2004. Biological inventory for vertebrates at Fort Larned National Historic Site of the southern plains network. Natural Heritage Inventory, Kansas Biological Survey, Lawrence. 61 pp.
Taggart, Travis W. 2004. Kansas Herpetological Society 2004 spring field trip. Journal of Kansas Herpetology (9):2.
Taggart, Travis W. 2004. Results of the 2004 KHS spring field trip to Logan County. Journal of Kansas Herpetology (10):2-7.
Taggart, Travis W. 2004. Results of the KHS 2004 fall feld trip . Journal of Kansas Herpetology (12):15-16.
Bennett, R. 2004. Life history. Crotalus viridis. Prairie Rattlesnake. Behavior. Journal of Kansas Herpetology (12):18.
Taggart, Travis W. and Curtis J. Schmidt. 2004. Life History. Crotalus viridis. New maximum size for entire range. Journal of Kansas Herpetology (12):18.
Taggart, Travis W. 2006. Addendum report to biological inventory of the sandsage prairie near Holcomb, Kansas. Sunflower Electric Cooperative, Hays, Kansas. 31 pp.
Taggart, Travis W. 2006. Distribution and status of Kansas herpetofauna in need of information. State Wildlife Grant T7. Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks, Pratt. vii + 106 pp.
Taggart, Travis W., Joseph T. Collins, and Curtis J. Schmidt. 2007. Estimates of amphibian, reptile, and turtle mortality if Phostoxin is applied to 10,000 acres of prairie dog burrows in Logan County, Kansas. Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks, Pratt. 5 pp.
Taggart, Travis W. 2007. A biological inventory of the Sunflower Electric Site near Holcomb, Kansas. Journal of Kansas Herpetology 23:11-16.
Kraus, Fred. 2009. Alien Reptiles and Amphibians: A Scientific Compendium and Analysis. Springer, Dordrecht, The Netherlands. 563 pp.
Hubbs, Brian and B. O'Connor. 2009. A Guide to the Rattlesnakes of the United States. Tricolor Books, Tempe, Arizona. 96 pp.
Collins, Joseph T., Suzanne L. Collins, and Travis W. Taggart. 2010. Amphibians, Reptiles, and Turtles of Kansas. Eagle Mountain Publishing., Provo, Utah. 400 pp.
Collins, Joseph T., Suzanne L. Collins, and Travis W. Taggart. 2011. Amphibians, Reptiles, and Turtles of the Cimarron National Grassland, Kansas. Second (Revised) Edition. U. S. Forest Service.
Ernst, Carl H. and Evelyn M. Ernst. 2011. Venomous Reptiles of the United States, Canada, and Northern Mexico Volume 2. Crotalus. Johns hopkins University Press, Baltimore.
Taggart, Travis W. and Daniel Murrow. 2011. KHS to conduct summer field trip to western Kansas. Journal of Kansas Herpetology (38):5.
Taggart, Travis W. 2011. Results of the Kansas Herpetological Society 2011 Summer Field Trip to Scott State Park. Journal of Kansas Herpetology (39):2.
Rohweder, Megan R. 2012. Spatial conservation prioritization of Kansas for terrestrial vertebrates. Thesis. Fort Hays State University, Hays, Kansas. 151 pp.
Powell, Robert, Joseph T Collins, and Errol D Hooper Jr. 2012. Key to the Herpetofauna of the Continental United States and Canada: Second Edition, Revised and Updated. Univ Press of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas. 152 pp.
Kauffman, Greg Lee. 2013. Stable isotope analysis of a middle woodland population from north central Kansas. Thesis. University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas. 110 pp.
Goldenberg, Julianne R. 2013. Multilocus species delimitation and species tree inference within the Western Rattlesnake (Crotalus viridis) species complex. Thesis. San Diego State Univeristy, San Diego, California.. 81 pp.
Taggart, Travis W. 2013. KHS 2012 Summer Field Trip to Meade County State Park. Collinsorum 2(3/4):3.
Taggart, Travis W. 2013. KHS 2013 Summer Field Trip to Coldwater Lake, Comanche County. Collinsorum 2(3/4):5.
Mardis, Dexter and Kevin Scott. 2013. 2013 Kansas Herpetofaunal Counts. Collinsorum 2(3/4):7.
Gardiner, Laura E., Christopher M. Somers, Jessica A. Martino, Dennilyn L. Parker, and Ray G. Poulin. 2013. Balancing the dumbbell: Summer habitats
need protection in addition to winter dens
for northern snake communities. The Journal of Wildlife Management 77(5):975-982.
Taggart, Travis W. 2014. Results of the 2014 KHS Spring Field Trip to Barber County. Collinsorum 3(2-4):11.
Taggart, Travis W. 2014. Results of the 2014 KHS summer field trip to Morton County and adjacent Colorado, New Mexico,
and Oklahoma. Collinsorum 3(2-4):12.
Rothe-Groleau, Colleen S. 2016. Natural history and reproductive biology of a population of Prairie Rattlesnakes (Crotalus viridis) from Kansas. Thesis. University of Nebraska at Omaha, Omaha, Nebraska. 46 pp.
Powell, Robert, Roger Conant, and Joseph T. Collins. 2016. Peterson Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of Eastern and Central North America. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Boston. 494 pp.
Taggart, Travis W. 2016. Results of the KHS ‘Fall’ field trip to Barber County. Collinsorum 5(2-3):6-7.
Davis, Mark A., Marlis R. Douglas, Michael L. Collyer, and Michael E. Douglas. 2016. Deconstructing a species-complex: Geometric morphometric and molecular analyses define species in the Western Rattlesnake (Crotalus viridis). PLOS One 11(1):e0146166.
Crother, Brian I. (editor). 2017. Scientific and Standard English Names of Amphibians and Reptiles of North America North of Mexico, with Comments Regarding Confidence in Our Understanding. Eighth edition. Herpetological Circulars (43):1-102.
Taggart, Travis W. 2017. Herp Count: Clark County State Lake. Collinsorum 6(2-3):9.
Rothe-Groleau, Colleen, Claudia M. Rauter, and James D. Fawcett. 2018. Morphological traits as indicators of sexual dimorphism in Prairie Rattlesnakes (Crotalus viridis). Transactions of the Nebraska Academy of Sciences 38:10-18.
Powell, Robert, Joseph T Collins, and Errol D Hooper Jr. 2019. Key to the Herpetofauna of the Continental United States and Canada. Third Edition. Univ Press of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas. 192 pp.
Riedle, J. Daren. 2019. The truth about snakes. Kansas Wildlife and Parks Magazine July/August:18-21.
Riedle, J. Daren. 2020. Revisiting Kansas Herpetological Society field trip and Herp Count data:
Distributional patterns and trend data of Kansas amphibians and reptiles. Collinsorum 9(1):7-16.
Balchan, Neil R. 2021. Resistance to rattlesnake venoms in an eastern Colorado rodent community. Thesis. University of Northern Colorado, Greeley, Colorado. 143 pp.
Taggart, Travis W and Sarah L Taggart. 2021. Herp Count: Morton County: KHS-2020-12. Collinsorum 9(3):13.
Taggart, Travis W and Sarah L Taggart. 2021. Herp Count: Stanton County: KHS-2020-10. Collinsorum 9(3):13.
Taggart, Megan M. and Travis W. Taggart. 2021. Herp Count: Seward County: KHS-2020-27. Collinsorum 9(3):15.
Holding, Matthew L., Jason L. Strickland, Rhett M. Rautsaw, Erich P. Hofmann, Andrew J. Mason, Michael P. Hogan, Gunnar S. Nystrom, Schyler A. Ellsworth, Timothy J. Colston, Miguel Borja, Gamaliel Castaneda-Gaytan, Christoph I. Grunwald, Jason M. Jones, Luciana A. Freitas-de-Sousa, Vincent Louis Viala, Mark J. Margres, Erika Hingst-Zaher, Inacio L. M. Junqueira-de-Azevedo, Ana M. Moura-da-Silvaf, Felipe G. Grazziotin, H. Lisle Gibbs, Darin R. Rokyta, and Christopher L. Parkinson. 2021. Phylogenetically diverse diets favor more complex venoms in North American pitvipers. Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of the United States of America 118(17):10.
Russell, Elisabeth. 2023. Habitat associations and fine-scale movements of the Red-spotted Toad (Anaxyrus punctatus) in Kansas and the efficacy of remote telemetry for monitoring small-scale movements. Thesis. Fort Hays State University, Hays, Kansas. 81 pp.
Smith, Cara F., Zachary L. Nicolas, Kathleen Ivey, Blair W. Perry, Drew R. Schield, Neil R. Balchan, Joshua Parker, Kirk C. Hansen, Anthony J. Saviola, Todd A. Castoe, and Stephen P. Mackessy. 2023. Snakes on a plain: biotic and abiotic factors determine venom compositional variation in a wide-ranging generalist rattlesnake. BMC Biology 21(136):1-19.
Myers, Edward A., Rhett M. Rautsaw, Miguel Borja, Jason Jones, Christoph I. Grünwald, Matthew L. Holding, Felipe Grazziotin, and Christopher L. Parkinson. 2024. Phylogenomic discordance is driven by wide-spread introgression and incomplete lineage sorting during rapid species diversification within rattlesnakes (Viperidae: Crotalus and Sistrurus). Systematic Biology syae018.
Farver, Terry. 2025. The Prairie Rattlesnake (Crotalus viridis). Colorado Parks & Wildlife, Denver, Colorado. 62 pp.