16. CROTALIDM 



De Luz, Dulzura, El Nido, Witch Creek, Poway, Escon- 

 dido, La Jolla, and at Mountain Spring. 



In northern Lower California, it is known to occur near 

 Ensenada, San Quentin, San Tomas, Matomi, Agua Escon- 

 dito, Santa Catalina, San Matias, Turtle Bay, San Salado 

 Canyon, and in the San Matias, Cocopah and San Pedro 

 Martir Mountains, and on Cerros Island. It has been found 

 also on Angel de la Guardia, South San Lorenzo, San Mar- 

 cos and Monserrate islands in the Gulf of California. 



Habits. — This large, hea\'y rattlesnake is common on 

 the coast slopes of southern California and northern Lower 

 California. It inhabits chiefly chaparral-covered and rocky 

 hill-slopes. It is reported as seen well up in bushes in Reche 

 Canyon. Atsatt states that one was extremely active when 

 found at daylight in the morning of August 23, 1908, at 

 Dos Palmos Spring. Evidently it was not chilled by the 

 night temperature. Another very active and demonstrative 

 rattler was seen, but it retreated into a cleft in the rocks, 

 from which it could not be dislodged. 



Regarding the length of time an individual of this 

 subspecies may continue to rattle without apparent external 

 stimulus, Dr. Wm. E. Ritter writes: 



"The snake was some 20 or 30 feet from a trail on which 

 I was slowly and quietly walking, and discovered itself to 

 me by setting up a vigorous whir. As it was partly conceal- 

 ed by vegetation I should certainly have passed it by un- 

 noticed but for its noise. In this instance its "warning" 

 would surely have resulted in its death were I a sharer in 

 the usual vengefulness against rattlesnakes. As a matter 

 of fact I did nothing to disturb his peace of mind except to 

 move around in various ways on my trail for the purpose of 

 learning something about the rattle business. 



"That the animal was keenly watching my every move- 



