Massasaugas
Sistrurus
Common names: ground rattlesnakes, pygmy rattlesnakes, massasaugas
Sistrurus is a genus of pit vipers in the subfamily Crotalinae of the family Viperidae. The genus is endemic to Canada, the United States, and Mexico. Its name comes from the romanized forms of the Greek words for "rattle" (σείστρον, seistron) and "tail" (οὐρά, ora). It shares its root with the ancient Egyptian musical instrument, the sistrum, a type of rattle. Three species are currently recognized.
3 branches of this genus, most-observed first · about 3 known species
Pygmy Rattlesnake
speciesSistrurus miliarius
Eastern Massasauga
speciesSistrurus catenatus
Western Massasauga
speciesSistrurus tergeminus
Where it lives
Recorded sightings
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geo-referenced records in GBIF, from museums, herbaria and field observers.
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In the stacks
Searching the stacks…
Every page naming Sistrurus in the Biodiversity Heritage Library →
This page is assembled live from iNaturalist, GBIF, Wikipedia, the Source Library and the Internet Archive. It is not yet part of the hand-edited codex. iNaturalist taxon 30979.