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Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnakes

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The eastern diamondback is a large, heavy-bodied rattlesnake.  Adults can grow to an average 3-6 feet in length and can weigh up to 10 pounds.  The background color is brown, tan or yellow with brown diamonds down the back which are outlined in cream.  They have large, broad heads with a dark stripe which is bordered in cream on both sides running diagonally through the eye.  There is a facial pit between the eye and the nostril, and the tail ends in a rattle.

Eastern diamondbacks are found throughout Florida, primarily in areas that contain palmetto thickets including pine flatwoods, sand pine scrub, and longleaf pine and turkey oak habitats.  They spend most of their time concealed in vegetation waiting to ambush prey, or during winter months, in gopher tortoise burrows or stump holes.

Diamondback rattlesnakes are venomous and can strike a distance up to 2/3 of their body length.  This species is best left alone when encountered.  A venomous reptile permit is required to possess or transport live rattlesnakes.