A small horned rattlesnake of North American deserts that moves by throwing its body sideways across hot loose sand.
Description
The sidewinder is a stocky pale tan or pinkish rattlesnake under 80 cm, named for its diagnostic locomotion. It bears a pair of low scaly horns above each eye, and its dorsal pattern of small dark blotches matches desert sand. Females are slightly larger than males.
Behavior
Sidewinders use a unique sidewinding gait that throws successive loops of the body off the ground, leaving distinctive J-shaped tracks. The motion lets them cross hot loose sand quickly without slipping. They are nocturnal in summer, hunting small mammals and lizards along washes and dune fields.
Range
Distributed across the deserts of the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, including the Mojave and Sonoran. Three subspecies vary modestly in pattern and habitat preferences across this range.
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