Common Name: 
Canebrake rattlesnake

Scientific Name: 
Crotalus horridus

Identification: 25-70 in; Light tan or beige above, with dark brown crossbands and a reddish stripe down the middle of the back; brown band from eye to angle of mouth; tail dark gray or black; the head is triangle-shaped with vertically elliptic pupils and a loreal pit located between each eye and nostril; scales keeled.

Habits: Canebrake rattlesnakes inhabit wooded and forested areas, preferring hardwoods. They tend to lie in a resting coil near the base of trees or near logs. They feed on wood rats and squirrels.

Distribution: Most of Louisiana except the coastal marshes. There are few records west of the Red River and Atchafalaya Basin.