Is the Oaxacan Pygmy Rattlesnake venomous?

Yes. The Oaxacan Pygmy Rattlesnake (Crotalus brunneus) is venomous and belongs to the Viperidae family (rattlesnake). Its bite is considered high risk to people. Treat any bite as a medical emergency.

Is the Oaxacan Pygmy Rattlesnake poisonous?

Snakes are venomous, not poisonous. "Poisonous" means harmful to eat or touch; "venomous" means injecting toxins through a bite. The Oaxacan Pygmy Rattlesnake is venomous, delivering venom through a bite.

Rattlesnake

Oaxacan Pygmy Rattlesnake

Venomous

Crotalus brunneus

The Oaxacan Pygmy Rattlesnake (Crotalus brunneus) is a venomous snake in the Viperidae family.

If you are bitten

Rattlesnake bites are medically serious. Expect intense pain, rapid swelling, and bruising. Stay calm, keep the bitten limb still and roughly level with the heart, remove rings and tight clothing, and get to an emergency room immediately. Do NOT apply a tourniquet, cut the wound, apply ice, or try to suck out venom. Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 or 911 in the US, or your local emergency number. (Source: CDC.)

Also called: Rattlesnake
Family: Viperidae
Size: Typically 2–5 ft; some species exceed 6 ft.
Habitat: Deserts, rocky outcrops, grasslands, and woodland edges, depending on species.
Behavior: Ambush predators that buzz the tail as a warning; mostly active in warm months and often crepuscular in summer heat.
Identify: Heavy body, broad triangular head, vertical (cat-like) pupils, and a segmented keratin rattle at the tail tip.
Danger: high

About the Oaxacan Pygmy Rattlesnake

The Oaxacan Pygmy Rattlesnake belongs to the Viperidae family, vipers & pit vipers. Heavy-bodied venomous snakes with long, hinged, hollow fangs.

Vipers are ambush predators with the most sophisticated venom-delivery system of any snake: long fangs that fold back against the roof of the mouth and swing forward to stab. The family splits into true vipers (adders, Gaboon viper, Russell's viper, saw-scaled vipers) and pit vipers (rattlesnakes, copperheads, cottonmouths, lanceheads, bushmasters), which have a heat-sensing pit between the eye and nostril.

Its genus, Crotalus, covers rattlesnakes. Crotalus is the largest genus of rattlesnakes, New World pit vipers famous for the keratin rattle they shake as a warning.

The Oaxacan Pygmy Rattlesnake is venomous. Treat any bite as a medical emergency, do not try to handle or capture the snake, and get professional medical care right away. Heavy body, broad triangular head, vertical (cat-like) pupils, and a segmented keratin rattle at the tail tip.

Typically 2–5 ft; some species exceed 6 ft. Deserts, rocky outcrops, grasslands, and woodland edges, depending on species.

Field-guide summary compiled from taxonomy and verified occurrence records. Detailed natural-history notes for this species are still being added.

Frequently asked: Oaxacan Pygmy Rattlesnake

Is the Oaxacan Pygmy Rattlesnake venomous?: Yes. The Oaxacan Pygmy Rattlesnake (Crotalus brunneus) is venomous and belongs to the Viperidae family (rattlesnake). Its bite is considered high risk to people. Treat any bite as a medical emergency.
Is the Oaxacan Pygmy Rattlesnake poisonous?: Snakes are venomous, not poisonous. "Poisonous" means harmful to eat or touch; "venomous" means injecting toxins through a bite. The Oaxacan Pygmy Rattlesnake is venomous, delivering venom through a bite.
Is the Oaxacan Pygmy Rattlesnake dangerous?: Rattlesnake bites are medically serious. Expect intense pain, rapid swelling, and bruising. Stay calm, keep the bitten limb still and roughly level with the heart, remove rings and tight clothing, and get to an emergency room immediately. Do NOT apply a tourniquet, cut the wound, apply ice, or try to suck out venom. Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 or 911 in the US, or your local emergency number. (Source: CDC.)
How do I identify the Oaxacan Pygmy Rattlesnake?: Heavy body, broad triangular head, vertical (cat-like) pupils, and a segmented keratin rattle at the tail tip.
How big does the Oaxacan Pygmy Rattlesnake get?: Typically 2–5 ft; some species exceed 6 ft.

If you are bitten by the Oaxacan Pygmy Rattlesnake

A venomous snakebite is a medical emergency. Call your local emergency number immediately. In the US, dial 911 or Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222.

Get away from the snake and stay calm. Most bites worsen when people panic or try again to handle the snake.
Call 911 or Poison Control (1-800-222-1222) right away. Antivenom works best when given early.
Note the time of the bite and, from a safe distance, the snake's color and pattern, a phone photo is enough. Do not chase it.
Keep the bitten limb still and at roughly heart level. Sit or lie down and limit movement.
Remove rings, watches, and tight clothing near the bite before swelling starts.
Gently wash the bite with soap and water and cover it with a clean, dry dressing.

Do not

Do not cut the wound or try to suck out the venom.
Do not apply a tourniquet or ice.
Do not drink alcohol or caffeine.
Do not take aspirin or ibuprofen, they can worsen bleeding. Acetaminophen is safer for pain.
Do not try to catch or kill the snake. A dead snake can still bite by reflex.

First-aid guidance adapted from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC NIOSH), Venomous Snakes. Educational only; always follow the instructions of emergency responders.

More Viperidae snakes

Classification

How scientists group this snake, from the broadest category down to the exact species. Each step narrows to its closest relatives.

OrderThe broad group of scaled reptiles: all snakes and lizards: Squamata
FamilyA group of related snakes that share key traits: Viperidae
GenusA close-knit group of very similar species: Crotalus
SpeciesThis exact snake, named in the two-part scientific name: Crotalus brunneus

Keep learning

Distribution from GBIF & iNaturalist. Venom status per CDC. Informational only. Never handle a snake to identify it.