Sistrurus miliarius
Silhouette: Steven Traver · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~40% in a week ~60%
Common names: pygmy rattlesnake, eastern pygmy rattlesnake, ground rattlesnake, leaf rattler, death rattler, more. Sistrurus miliarius, commonly called the pygmy rattlesnake, is a species of venomous snake in the subfamily Crotalinae (pit vipers) of the family Viperidae. The species is endemic to the Southeastern United States. Three subspecies are currently recognized.
Sistrurus miliarius is a small species, but bulky in width, with adults usually growing to 40–60 cm (16–24 in) in total length (including tail). It is the smallest species of rattlesnake on the North American continent. The maximum reported total length is 78.8 cm (31.0 in) (Klauber, 1972). Petersburg, Florida. Shine (1978) suggested that in some populations, males may be larger than females, but a later study by Bishop et al. (1996) did not find sexual dimorphism of any kind in a population in Volusia County, Florida. It is currently theorized that the lack... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Everglades National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge | 🇺🇸 United States |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Pygmy Rattlesnake sighting in Everglades National Park on a given day, based on 60 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 31st most-seen of the 54 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 40%, and over a week to about 60%, if each day is a fresh chance.
November
In that month about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Pygmy Rattlesnake in Everglades National Park on a given day, against under 5% in August, the lowest month. That is one of Everglades National Park's driest months, with about 60 mm of rain against 240 mm in June.
Between 7 and 10 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Pygmy Rattlesnake sightings with a recorded time, and about half of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is seen both by day and at night.
Yes
Of the 2 parks where we can rate Pygmy Rattlesnake sightings, Everglades National Park has the highest daily chance: about 10%. Next come Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge (United States, about 10%).
Same family: Viperidae
The closest relatives of the Pygmy Rattlesnake that you can see in Everglades National Park (family Viperidae, Vipers) are Florida Cottonmouth (about 50%) and Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake (about 30%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Pygmy Rattlesnake is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Everglades National Park (60 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
