Washington Crotalus viridis , Western rattlesnake Description. It is brown or slightly greenish-brown, and has large rounded blotches along the back and black and white crossbars on the tail.
Rattles are conspicuous on the tail and often give it a blunt-ended appearance.
The western rattlesnake occurs from southeastern British Columbia southward through Oregon and California, and into Baja California, Mexico. In Washington, it occurs only east of the Cascade Mountains and into the eastern part of the Columbia River Gorge. These snakes live in warm, dry habitats of desert-scrub, grassland, and open pine forest. They are most common in rocky habitats, including stream canyons. Cool Biology Facts.