Crotalus viridis
Silhouette: Blair Perry · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
The prairie rattlesnake or Great Plains rattlesnake (Crotalus viridis) is a venomous pit viper species native to the western United States, southwestern Canada, and northern Mexico. The taxonomic history of this species is convoluted. Their results agreed broadly with those obtained by Pook et al. (2000). The authors retained the names of the traditional subspecies, but emphasized the need for more work to... Wikipedia →
Recording0:58
United States · 2023
© Matt Carey · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
Recording0:11
United States · 2018
© Nigel Forshaw · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
Recording0:05
United States · 2026
© Indio Brown · iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Badlands National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Yellowstone National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Denver | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Denver Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Ostrava Zoo | 🇨🇿 Czechia | |
| 3 | Sedgwick County Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Phoenix Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Cape May County Park & Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Cameron Park Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 10 | Reptile Gardens | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 11 | OdySea Aquarium | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 12 | Kentucky Reptile Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States |
No species of the same family or order lives in Yellowstone National Park, so these are its closest relatives here: other reptiles.
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Prairie Rattlesnake sighting in Yellowstone National Park on a given day, based on 5 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 5th most-seen of the 5 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
April–May and July
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Prairie Rattlesnake in Yellowstone National Park on a given day, against under 5% in June and August–March, the lowest months.
Between 8 and 11 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Prairie Rattlesnake sightings with a recorded time, and about half of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is seen both by day and at night.
2nd of 2
Of the 2 parks where we can rate Prairie Rattlesnake sightings, Yellowstone National Park ranks 2nd at under 5%. The best odds are in Badlands National Park (United States, about 50%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Prairie Rattlesnake is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Yellowstone National Park (5 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.
