Ecology and conservation of the twin-spotted rattlesnake, Crotalus pricei

Although twin-spotted rattlesnakes (Crotalus pricei ) were first identified more than a century ago, little has been published about the ecology of this species and no information has been available regarding population characteristics. During 1997--99, I captured, measured, and marked 117 C. pricei in the Chiricahua Mountains to address this need for information. Lizards constituted the bulk of C. pricei prey, but their diet also included mammals, birds, and snakes. Mating and parturition were concentrated in August and early September. Movement patterns varied dramatically from year to year, as males moved substantially farther during the 1998 monsoon season (July--September) than in 1997. Crotalus pricei are sometimes collected illegally for the pet trade. About 90 people may have hunted for C. pricei at a well-known site during 1997--98. On average, snakes at this site were 38.1 mm smaller than snakes at other sites, an observation that could be attributed to collecting pressure