page_title: Crotalus molossus
section_title: Description
hierarchical_section_title: Crotalus molossus / Description
context_page_description: Crotalus molossus is a venomous pit viper species found in the southwestern United States and Mexico. Four subspecies are currently recognized, including the nominate subspecies described here.
context_section_description: This medium-sized species averages from 76 to 107 cm (30 to 42 in) in length. Large specimens are usually not much more than 100 cm (39 in) long, although lengths of 125.0 cm (49.2 in) (Gloyd, 1940), 125.7 cm (49.5 in) (Klauber, 1972), and 129.5 cm (51.0 in) (Shaw & Campbell, 1974) have been reported. The females tend to be larger than the males.
  They range in color from  yellows and olive greens to browns and black. As their name implies, one of their most distinguishing features is, despite variations in body color, entirely black tail scales. Often, this rattlesnake has a black band across its eyes extending diagonally down to the corners of its mouth, forming a sort of facial 'mask'.
  Like other rattlesnakes, C. molossus has a rattle composed of keratin on the end of its tail. Each time the snake sheds its skin, a new segment is added to the rattle. A snake can shed its skin several times a year, and the rattle is fairly fragile and can be broken, so that the length of a rattlesnake's rattle is not an accurate measure of its age, unless the terminal button is intact.
caption: C. m. molossus
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