There are different types of rattlesnakes in Utah! However, please try not to live in constant terror of being bitten.
If you leave them alone, you shouldn’t encounter any issues. Please do not trample if you see any of these types of rattlesnakes in Utah!
Given their hazardous nature, rattlesnakes need to be kept at a distance. The likelihood of being bitten increases with your level of agitation.
If a rattlesnake has just bitten you, our article will help you identify the types of rattlesnakes in Utah.
Go directly to the closest hospital to find out whether the snake is poisonous and to receive assistance if you have just been bitten.
1. Mojave Rattlesnake
Mojave Rattlesnake is one of the types of rattlesnakes on our list in Utah. Only in Utah’s most extreme southwest region can one find the Mojave rattlesnake.
The southwest region of the United States and central Mexico make up its habitat.
Lengthening between 39 and 54 inches, the Mojave rattlesnake inhabits arid regions devoid of vegetation, where it spends most of its time outside.
The Mojave rattlesnake’s color varies, often exhibiting a greenish tint. Though the Western rattlesnake doesn’t have the same “Mojave” green tint, it looks comparable.
With a white band on its tail, the Mojave rattlesnake has a black diamond pattern running down the center of its back.
The Mojave rattlesnake is home to some of North America’s worst venom.
Anti-venom, however, may be used to treat bites if you get medical assistance as soon as possible.
The strong venom of these types of rattlesnakes in Utah targets the circulatory and neurological systems simultaneously. It is a combination of hemotoxic and neurotoxic toxins.
2. Prairie Rattlesnake
Prairie rattlesnakes live in the eastern portion of Utah. Their distribution encompasses much of the Great Plains region of North America, southern Canada, and northern Mexico, so they are frequently referred to as the Great Plains rattlesnake.
Although they may range from 35 to 45 inches, prairie rattlesnakes are typically more than three feet long.
The colors of these types of rattlesnakes in Utah are often pale brown. Along the center of its back are thin white borders that encircle spots of dark brown.
Towards the end of their tails, these patches turn into dark rings, giving the snake a rougher, more bristly appearance.
The scales along the snake’s back are also keeled, meaning each scale has a rough ridge in the center.
Prairie rattlesnakes’ main prey is small animals, including rats, mice, ground squirrels, prairie dogs, and tiny rabbits.
They sometimes hunt frogs, tiny reptiles, and birds that nest on the ground.
The primary hemotoxin in the prairie rattlesnake’s venom is responsible for the destruction of red blood cells.
It also contains certain neurotoxic components that have the potential to paralyze people by interfering with cell signaling.
Although some experts think the makeup of a prairie rattlesnake’s venom varies with age, all rattlesnakes contain lethal venom from birth.
No matter how big or old a rattlesnake is, it would be best if you always exercised caution near them.
3. Speckled Rattlesnake
Only the most extreme southwest portion of Utah is home to the speckled rattlesnake, native to the southwest United States and northwest Mexico.
In the United States, the maximum length of these snakes is 39 inches.
The body of speckled rattlesnakes is covered with colored “speckles” and has a light brown or tan coloration with little black stripes.
However, compared to other types of rattlesnakes in Utah, speckled rattlesnakes have a wider range of colors because of their camouflage coloring, which allows them to blend in with their surroundings.
Depending on their living environment, they may have a variety of colors, including light brown or tan, off-white, grey, pale brown, pale yellow, pinkish-brown, pale orange, etc.
In desert regions, speckled rattlesnakes thrive best in rocky and sandy environments with little undergrowth, such as bushes or fir trees.
The paralyzing effects of the neurotoxic venom of the speckled rattlesnake target the neurological system.
4. Hopi Rattlesnake
In addition to northwest New Mexico and the northern Arizona desert plains, Hopi rattlesnakes are found in southeast Utah.
The Hopi Rattlesnake is a subspecies of the prairie rattlesnake, with the exception of size, since it is often only 24 inches long.
These types of rattlesnakes in Utah may blend in with their surroundings with colors ranging from pink to gray to orange-brown.
They have patches of a deeper brown color along the center of their backs.
Known to be “secretive,” Hopi rattlesnakes like to hide from the heat in rocky nooks and even other animals‘ burrows.
Their prey consists of rodents, lizards, birds, and even frogs. They come out early in the morning.
Although Hopi rattlesnakes are often timid and non-aggressive types of rattlesnakes in Utah, they may strike quickly if they sense danger or harassment.
Hemotoxic venom is the main cause of edema and necrosis in Hopi rattlesnake bites.
Depending on the region, the venom of certain Hopi rattlesnakes contains extra neurotoxins that may lead to respiratory problems and muscle paralysis.
5. Midget Faded Rattlesnake
Midget Faded Rattlesnake is also one of the types of rattlesnakes in Utah.
In addition to the Colorado River basin, the Green River basin, Wyoming, and some areas of Colorado, the dwarf fading rattlesnake may be found in the eastern portion of Utah.
These rattlesnakes, which may reach a maximum length of 25 inches, are smaller than many of the types of rattlesnakes in Utah on the list.
Shades of light brown, cream, yellow-brown, or even pinkish are typical with little fading rattlesnakes.
The center of their backs are covered with rectangular blotches with rounded edges, each defined in a deeper brown hue.
The marks on the backs of juvenile tiny fading rattlesnakes are brighter and more pronounced.
These patterns become less pronounced with age, which is how they get their name.
It may become difficult to distinguish between this rattlesnake and the ground below it because of how faded they can get!
The steep slopes of hills are home to the tiny fading rattlesnake, which hunts lizards and other cold-blooded animals.
Their venom is poisonous, a mixture of neurotoxins and myotoxins that eat away at muscles and induce paralysis.
The venom of the tiny fading rattlesnake may be more lethal than that of some cobras.
6. Sidewinder Rattlesnake
The southwest desert regions of the United States, northwest Mexico, and the extreme southwest corner of Utah are home to sidewinder rattlesnakes.
It is among the smallest rattlesnake species, at 17 to 30 inches long. Its movement gives it the moniker sidewinder.
These types of rattlesnakes in Utah glide through the sand in a sideways, twisting pattern, creating traces of a J.
The sidewinder can easily climb sandy hills using this mode of movement.
The colors of sidewinder rattlesnakes include cream, yellow-brown, pink, and light-brownish yellow.
They have tiny spots all over their bodies that help them blend in with the sand, with darker, more geometric markings running down the center of their backs.
The horn-like scales over their eyes are their most distinctive characteristic, sometimes called “horned rattlesnakes.
Partially submerged in the sand, sidewinders wait for their victim to go through.
Sidewinder rattlesnakes have smaller and less potent venom glands than most other types in Utah.
Despite being less poisonous than other rattlesnakes due to this characteristic, sidewinder rattlesnakes are hazardous, and you should always avoid getting in the path of any snake.
Its name comes from the Hopi Tribe, who considers the Hopi rattlesnake a holy animal.
For the Hopi, these rattlesnakes in Utah represent the protectors of rain and springs.
With the Hopi rattlesnake, they engage in a customary dance ritual that helps bring rain to the area—all without endangering the snake.
After the ritual, the villagers release the snakes into the wild, taking the dancers’ prayers.
7. Great Basin Rattlesnake
The western region of Utah is home to the Great Basin rattlesnake, which prefers grassy plains, steep slopes, and stony canyons.
It takes its name from the Great Basin region of the United States, home to much of its habitat.
A subspecies of the western rattlesnake, the great basin rattlesnake’s length range is 16 to 64 inches. However, its average length is three feet.
In addition to having broad, stocky bodies, Great Basin rattlesnakes often have colors that range from light brown to olive brown to yellowish-brown.
Their backs are dotted with dark patches that have pale centers.
Great Basin rattlesnakes benefit farmers by devouring several creatures that harm crops, such as ground squirrels and rabbits.
In addition, these types of rattlesnakes in Utah hunt lizards, amphibians, birds, and other snakes.
Both hemotoxins, mycotoxins, and perhaps some neurotoxins are present in their venom.
The Great Basin gopher snake is a non-venomous counterpart of the rattlesnake.
The Great Basin gopher snake resembles a rattlesnake by twitching its tail in response to danger, and the two snakes are similar in color.
Sadly, many hikers kill Great Basin gopher snakes out of fear, even though they are harmless due to their similar look and behavior.
