Crotalus pricei

This species is a mountain rock dweller of pine-oak woodland, grassy and brushy areas, and open coniferous forest, usually occurring on well-lit rocky slopes such as south-facing talus (Stebbins 2003, Campbell and Lamar 2004). In Mexico, it is also found in grassy/shrubby mountain valleys where prey is abundant, on pinyon-pine/agave slopes, and in limestone/scrub oak/agave habitats where pines have been reduced by logging (the latter two habitats pertain to the eastern subspecies miquihuanus, Armstrong and Murphy 1979). This snake was found among stumps and coarse woody debris in July in high-elevation pine-oak forest in Sierra del Nido, Chihuahua (Bryson et al. 2002). In autumn, individuals may shift from summer habitat to a diffferent winter habitat (e.g., a different talus slope or beneath surface cover in a nontalus site (Prival et al. 2003).

In suitable habitat, several may occur in an area of a few square meters (Lowe et al. 1986).

In the Chiricahua Mountains, mating was concentrated in August and early September; births occurred in late July and August; mean number of embryos was 4 (range 1-6); female reproduction appeared to be biennial or less frequent; females developed embryos at 4-5 years of age (Prival et al. 2002). Viviparous. Gives birth to 3-9 young, July-August (Lowe et al. 1986).