Why study Mohave Rattlesnakes?

Mohave rattlesnakes are one of the most common yet most feared of all the snakes in the American southwest.

Known to biologists by their technical name Crotalus scutulatus and called “Mohave greens” by many desert residents, these animals are best known for their highly potent venom, which is widely considered to be one of the most toxic of any rattlesnake.

Although many scientists have investigated Mohave rattlesnake venom in the laboratory over the past several decades and field biologists have closely studied the natural history of other rattlesnake species, relatively little work has been done to document the natural history of wild Mohave rattlesnakes and hopefully reveal clues to why they are different.