Southern Pacific Rattlesnake
Crotalus oreganus helleri
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- C. o. helleri Aberrant light-colored morph – Orange Co, CA – photo by Steve Bledsoe
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- C. o. helleri – San Bernardino Co, CA – photo by James D. Bear
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- C. o. helleri Consuming fence lizard – San Diego Co, CA – photo by Steve Bledsoe
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- C. o. helleri – San Diego Co, CA – photo by Will Wells
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- C. o. helleri – San Diego Co, CA – photo by Will Wells
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- C. o. helleri – San Diego Co, CA – photo by Will Wells
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- C. o. helleri – San Diego Co, CA – photo by Kent VanSooy
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- Map by Steve Bledsoe, SWCHR
DISTRIBUTION: In our region, Crotalus o. helleri occurs in coastal California from the Mexican border to Morro Bay, eastward into the Central Valley and the transverse and peninsular mountain range slopes to the edges of the Mojave and Colorado Deserts The spevies is also present on Santa Catalina Island and Santa Cruz Island.
LEGAL STATUS: No Listings
MEANING OF SCIENTIFIC NAME: Crotalus oreganus helleri (Meek – 1905)
Genus: Crotalus, Greek – krotalon = a rattle ref. rattle on tail
Species: oreganus, Latin – oregano = belonging to the state of Oregon – pos. ref. to locality of type specimen
Subspecies: helleri, honors Edmund Heller
Ref. Ellen Beltz 2006
Ref. E. Jaeger 1962