Home/Species/ Sidewinder

Crotalus cerastes

Hallowell, 1854

Sidewinder

G5Secure Found in 16 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →

G5SecureGlobal Rank

Least concernIUCN

LowThreat Impact

Identity

Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.100532

Element CodeARADE02030

Record TypeSPECIES

ClassificationSpecies

Classification StatusStandard

Name CategoryVertebrate Animal

IUCNLeast concern

Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations

KingdomAnimalia

PhylumCraniata

ClassReptilia

OrderSquamata

FamilyViperidae

GenusCrotalus

Other Common Names

sidewinder (EN)

Concept Reference

Pyron, R. A., F. T. Burbrink, and J. J. Wiens. 2013. A phylogeny and revised classification of Squamata, including 4161 species of lizards and snakes. BMC Evolutionary Biology 29:131.

Taxonomic Comments

The traditional view of rattlesnake taxonomy that recognizes the two monophyletic sister genera Crotalus and Sistrurus (e.g. Brattstrom 1964) has recently been challenged. Stille (1987) and McCranie (1988) presented data that suggested Sistrurus is not monophyletic and rendered Crotalus paraphyletic. Parkinson (1999) found Sistrurus monophyletic but its position rendered Crotalus paraphyletic. Knight et al. (1993) used mtDNA to defend the traditional generic taxonomy, but in order to do so ignored the most parsimonious tree. The genus Crotalus is monophyletic when including the Mexican C. ravus (Murphy et al. 2002), and is supported as such in most recent phylogenies, as well as being the sister taxon to a monophyletic Sistrurus (e.g., Pyron et al. 2013) (Crother 2017).

Conservation Status

Rank Method Rank calculation - Biotics v2

Review Date2023-07-23

Change Date1996-10-31

Edition Date2023-07-23

Edition AuthorsHammerson, G. (2006); rev. R. L. Gundy (2023)

Threat ImpactLow

Range Extent200,000-2,500,000 square km (about 80,000-1,000,000 square miles)

Number of Occurrences81 - 300

Rank Reasons

Sidewinders are found from east-central California to southwestern Utah south to northwestern Mexico. No major threats are known, although vehicle strikes are a threat in some parts of its range. They are considered abundant and populations appear to be stable.

Range Extent Comments

The range extends from southeastern California, southern Nevada, and extreme southwestern Utah south through southwestern Arizona in the United States to northeastern Baja California and northwestern Sonora, and Isla Tiburon, Mexico (Grismer 2002, Stebbins 2003, Campbell and Lamar 2004). In Sonora, this species occurs north and west of the Nogales-Hermosillo-Guaymas highway, with the heaviest concentration in the Desierto de Altar (Armstrong and Murphy 1979). The elevational range extends from below sea level to about 6,000 feet (1,830 meters) (Stebbins 2003), but most localities are below 1,200 meters (Campbell and Lamar 2004).

Occurrences Comments

This species is represented by a large number of occurrences.

Threat Impact Comments

No major rangewide threats are known. Vehicle strikes are a significant threat where roads with high traffic levels cross suitable habitat (Jones et al. 2011).

Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

This snake generally inhabits open desert terrain with fine windblown sand, desert flats with sandy washes, or sand dunes sparsely vegetated with creosotebush or mesquite; sometimes it occurs in rocky or gravelly sites (Lowe et al. 1986, Ernst and Ernst 2003, Stebbins 2003, Campbell and Lamar 2004). In the Mojave Desert, snakes concentrated near washes and areas of relatively dense vegetation where mammal burrows were common (Brown and Lillywhite 1992), though in other areas this snake has been found to be more common where vegetation is sparse. During the daytime inactive period, individuals retreat into underground burrows or under bushes, or, at the end of activity at night, snuggle into sand with a minimum of the body exposed, remaining partially buried through daylight until conditions become too hot (then seeking shade) (Brown and Lillywhite 1992). Hibernation sites are in in burrows of rodents or tortoises (Secor, cited by Ernst 1992; Brown and Lillywhite 1992). In the eastern Mojave Desert, sidewinders hibernated in rodent burrows at the sand-alluvium interface (Secor 1994). This terrestrial snake rarely climbs into vegetation.

Ecology

By searching roads at night under favorable conditions, 30-47 per night have been found (see Ernst 1992).

Generally does not aggregate at hibernacula.

In the eastern Mojave Desert, California, density was around 1/ha. Activity ranges of individual snakes overlapped extensively, and snakes commonly shifted their centers of activity seasonally. Snakes traveled on average 32% of the days monitored during their April-October active season, with a resultant mean daily distance traveled of 35 m/day. Activity range averaged 20 ha (Secor 1994, 1995). Relatively sedentary after eating (Brown and Lillywhite 1992).

Taken by various carnivorous animals and often killed by vehicles on roads.

Reproduction

Mating occurs in spring or fall. Viviparous. Gives birth to 5-18 (typically 7-12) young, mid-August through November (mainly October) (see Ernst 1992). Probably very few live longer than 10 years.

Terrestrial Habitats

DesertSand/dune

Other Nations (1)

United StatesN5

Province	Rank	Native
Nevada	S4	Yes
Utah	S2	Yes
California	SNR	Yes
Arizona	S5	Yes

Threat Assessments

Threat	Scope	Severity	Timing
4 - Transportation & service corridors	Restricted - small	Slight or 1-10% pop. decline	High (continuing)
4.1 - Roads & railroads	Restricted - small	Slight or 1-10% pop. decline	High (continuing)

Roadless Areas (16)

Arizona (1)

Area	Forest	Acres
Catalina St. Pk. Roadless Area	Coronado National Forest	951

California (7)

Area	Forest	Acres
Black Canyon	Inyo National Forest	32,421
Boundary Peak (CA)	Inyo National Forest	210,884
Granite Peak	San Bernardino National Forest	450
Paiute	Inyo National Forest	58,712
Soldier Canyon	Inyo National Forest	40,589
South Sierra	Inyo National Forest	41,853
Wonoga Pk.	Inyo National Forest	11,272

Nevada (5)

Area	Forest	Acres
Angel Peak North	Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest	12,577
Angel Peak South	Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest	6,540
Charleston - Macks Cyn	Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest	11,378
Lovell Summit South	Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest	28,455
Stirling - Wheeler	Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest	3,044

Utah (3)

Area	Forest	Acres
Bull Valley	Dixie National Forest	10,911
Cottonwood	Dixie National Forest	6,754
Pine Valley Mountains	Dixie National Forest	57,673

References (28)

Armstrong, B. L., and J. B. Murphy. 1979. The natural history of Mexican rattlesnakes. Univ. Kansas Museum Natural History Special Publication. No. 5. vii + 88 pp.
Behler, J. L., and F. W. King. 1979. The Audubon Society field guide to North American reptiles and amphibians. Alfred A. Knopf, New York. 719 pp.
Brattstrom, B. H. 1964. Evolution of the pit vipers. Transactions of the San Diego Society of Natural History 13(11):185-268.
Brown, T. W., and H. B. Lillywhite. 1992. Autecology of the Mojave Desert sidewinder, Crotalus cerastes, at Kelso Dunes, Mojave Desert, California, USA. Pages 279-308 in J. A. Campbell and E. D. Brodie, Jr., editors. Biology of the pitvipers. Selva, Tyler, Texas.
Campbell, J. A., and E. D. Brodie, Jr., editors. 1992. Biology of the pit vipers. Selva, Tyler, Texas.
Campbell, J. A., and W. W. Lamar. 1989. The venomous reptiles of Latin America. Comstock Publ. Associates, Division of Cornell Univ. Press, Ithaca, New York. xii + 425 pp.
Campbell, J. A., and W. W. Lamar. 2004. The venomous reptiles of the Western Hemisphere. 2 volumes. Cornell University Press.
Collins, J. T. 1990. Standard common and current scientific names for North American amphibians and reptiles. 3rd ed. Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles. Herpetological Circular No. 19. 41 pp.
Crother, B. I. (editor). 2008. Scientific and standard English names of amphibians and reptiles of North America north of Mexico, with comments regarding confidence in our understanding. Sixth edition. Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles Herpetological Circular 37:1-84. Online with updates at: http://www.ssarherps.org/pages/comm_names/Index.php
Crother, B. I. (editor). 2012. Scientific and standard English names of amphibians and reptiles of North America north of Mexico, with comments regarding confidence in our understanding. 7th edition. SSAR Herpetological Circular 39:1-92.
Crother, B. 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. 8th edition. SSAR Herpetological Circular 43:1-104. [Updates in SSAR North American Species Names Database at: https://ssarherps.org/cndb]
Ernst, C. H. 1992. Venomous reptiles of North America. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, D.C. ix + 236 pp.
Ernst, C. H., and E. M. Ernst. 2003. Snakes of the United States and Canada. Smithsonian Books, Washington, D.C.
Gloyd, H. 1940. The rattlesnakes. Chicago Academy Science, Special Publication No. 4.
Grismer, L. L. 2002. Amphibians and reptiles of Baja California including its Pacific islands and islands in the Sea of Cortes. University of California Press, Berkeley. xiii + 399 pp.
Klauber, L. M. 1972. Rattlesnakes: their habits, life histories, and influence on mankind. Second edition. Two volumes. Univ. California Press, Berkeley.
Knight, A., D. Styer, S. Pelikan, J. A. Campbell, L. D. Densmore III, and D. P. Mindell. 1993. Choosing among hypotheses of rattlesnake phylogeny: a best-fit rate test for DNA sequence data. Systematic Biology 42(3):356-367.
Lowe, C. H., C. R. Schwalbe, and T. B. Johnson. 1986. The venomous reptiles of Arizona. Arizona Game and Fish Department. ix + 115 pp.
McCranie, J. R. 1988. Description of the hemipenis of Sistrurus ravus (Serpentes: Viperidae). Herpetologica 44:123-126.
Murphy, R. W., J. Fu, and A. Lathrop. 2002. Phylogeny of the rattlesnakes (Crotalus and Sistrurus) inferred from sequences of five mitochondrial DNA genes. Pages 69-92 in G. W. Schuett, M. Hoggren, M. E. Douglas, and H. W. Greene, editors. Biology of the Vipers. Eagle Mountain Publishing, Eagle Mountain, Utah.
Parkinson, C. L. 1999. Molecular systematics and biogeographical history of pitvipers as determined by mitochondrial ribosomal DNA sequences. Copeia 1999:576-586.
Pyron, R. A., F. T. Burbrink, and J. J. Wiens. 2013. A phylogeny and revised classification of Squamata, including 4161 species of lizards and snakes. BMC Evolutionary Biology 29:131.
Secor, S. M. 1992. A preliminary analysis of the movement and home range size of the sidewinder, Crotalus cerastes. Pages 389-393 in J. A. Campbell and E. D. Brodie, Jr., editors. Biology of the pitvipers. Selva, Tyler, Texas.
Secor, S. M. 1994. Ecological significance of movements and activity range for the sidewinder, Crotalus cerastes. Copeia 1994:631-645.
Secor, S. M. 1995. Ecological aspects of foraging mode for the snakes Crotalus cerastes and Masticophis flagellum. Herpetological Monographs 9:169-186.
Stebbins, R. C. 1985a. A field guide to western reptiles and amphibians. Second edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, Massachusetts. xiv + 336 pp.
Stebbins, R. C. 2003. A field guide to western reptiles and amphibians. Third edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston.
Stille, B. 1987. Dorsal scale microdermatoglyphics and rattlesnake (Crotalus and Sistrurus) phylogeny (Reptilia: Viperidae: Crotalinae). Herpetologica:98-104.

Crotalus cerastes

Habitat

Ecology

Reproduction

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