Reptiles
Prairie Rattlesnake
Crotalus viridis · also called prairie rattlesnakes
A prairie rattlesnake slips into a burrow it did not dig itself, a tunnel originally excavated by a prairie dog now serving as convenient shelter across the open Great Plains grassland. Come winter, it may share an even larger underground space with dozens of other snakes waiting out the cold together.
Overview
The prairie rattlesnake, Crotalus viridis, is a widespread pit viper native to grassland habitat across the North American Great Plains. Its reliance on borrowed burrow systems and communal winter denning behaviour tie it closely to the broader grassland ecosystem it inhabits.
A snake that borrows its home
Rather than investing energy digging its own extensive shelter, the prairie rattlesnake takes advantage of burrows other grassland animals have already built, a resourceful strategy that reflects just how interconnected life on the open plains really is.
Status
Least Concern — widespread across much of the Great Plains region, though localised declines occur from agricultural land conversion and road mortality.
Prairie Rattlesnake: common questions
Why does the prairie rattlesnake use prairie dog burrows?
A prairie rattlesnake frequently shelters within burrow systems originally dug by other animals such as prairie dogs and ground squirrels, taking over abandoned tunnels rather than excavating its own extensive burrows, a practical strategy that provides ready-made shelter across the open grassland habitat it inhabits.
How do prairie rattlesnakes survive cold winters?
A prairie rattlesnake often overwinters in communal dens shared with numerous other individuals, sometimes including other snake species, gathering together in suitable underground shelters that provide protection from freezing surface temperatures across its wide Great Plains range.
How big is the prairie rattlesnake's range?
The prairie rattlesnake occupies one of the more extensive ranges among North American rattlesnake species, spanning much of the Great Plains region from southern Canada through the central United States into northern Mexico, a considerably broader distribution than several more geographically restricted rattlesnake relatives.
What role does the prairie rattlesnake play in its ecosystem?
The prairie rattlesnake plays an important role as a predator of small mammals within Great Plains grassland ecosystems, helping regulate populations of ground squirrels, prairie dogs, and other rodents across its extensive range, a function that supports broader ecological balance within the grassland food web.