Natural History and Diet of a Population of Prairie Rattlesnakes (Crotalus viridis) in Kansas

The primary goal of this study was to gather enough data to create a life history table for this population that can be used in future studies on this and similar species, such as timber rattlesnakes. A second goal was to compile diet data for comparison to datasets within the primary literature from populations of C. viridis and other crotalid species throughout the United States and Canada. Using morphological characteristics, I attempted to determine whether there are methods that are less invasive for determining sex of C. viridis in the field than those currently in use. Snout-vent length (SVL) and tail length of a population collected in southwestern Kansas were highly correlated. The number of subcaudal scales showed a moderate correlation with tail length and a weak correlation with SVL. Tail length increased more in males than in females as life stages progressed in this population. C. viridis are generalist predators that tend to utilize the most abundant prey species within an area. The majority of prey items consumed by this population, especially the small mammals, were taken in spring between egress from hibernacula and mating in early summer. The only ontogenic shift in prey preference was related directly to size. Larger snakes exhibited preferential behavior in favor of larger prey items on occasion