Dusky Pygmy Rattlesnake

Sistrurus miliarius barbouri

Biome: Southern Swamps

Classification: Reptiles

Biography: Known as the "patient hunter of the pines", and
like most pit vipers, these small rattlers use the "sit and wait" method of hunting. In the wild, they have been observed in the same location for up to three weeks, patiently waiting for unsuspecting lizards, frogs, rodents or insects. The mottled color pattern allows these snakes to go virtually unseen on the forest floor. Even when they do rattle, it is often mistaken for a buzzing insect.

Pygmy rattlesnakes are the most common venomous snakes in Florida and live in the scrublands of palmetto and longleaf pines.

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