It is considered one of the most dangerous snakes in the United States due to the potency and quantity of venom it can inject. It has a large triangular head and vertical pupils. It is readily identified by the chocolate brown diamond pattern that is bordered with white running along its back. The tail is olive and ringed with black. It can be strongly camouflaged to its environment.
Young ones can shed up to five times per year, acquiring another rattle each time.
It displays aggressive defense tactics. Thirty to fifty percent of its strikes are 'dry' bites without any venom, which is reserved for killing its prey. The snake trails its prey by scent. A rattlesnake feeds on warm blooded animals such as mice, shrews, squirrels, pocket gophers, rabbits, and occasionally birds. It bites and then releases its victim.