The Reptiles and Amphibians of Utah

Description: The base color is gray, tan, reddish-brown, orange, or pinkish in color. The dorsal blotching is slightly darker than the base color and can be reduced, very faded, or absent. A dark bar, when present, extends from behind the eye to the back of the jaw. The tail tip at the base of the rattle is dark brown or black. Juveniles have a bolder pattern that fades with age. The scales are keeled. 

Size: A small heavy-bodied snake averaging around 2 feet in length. 

Range and Habitat: This snake occurs throughout the majority of the Colorado Plateau and Uinta Basin. It inhabits arid canyonlands, semiarid benchlands, semiarid canyonlands, grasslands, semidesert shrublands, and pinyon-juniper woodlands. It can be found up to about 7,000 feet in elevation. 

Similar Species: The other rattlesnakes in Utah can be similar in color and pattern, but as the name suggests, the Midget Faded Rattlesnake is usually smaller and has a faded pattern. This species overlaps in range with the Great Basin Rattlesnake, Grand Canyon Rattlesnake, and Prairie Rattlesnake (Hopi) in the area of Lake Powell. These species can be very difficult to tell apart due to suspected interbreeding between them in this area.