The subspecific name, edwardsii, is in honor of Colonel Dr. Lewis A. Edwards (1824–1877), a U.S. Army surgeon,[4] who collected the type specimen.[5]
Common names include desert massasauga,[6] Edward's massasauga,[7] Edward's rattlesnake.[8]
S. t. edwardsii is more slender and smaller than S. t. tergeminus, reaching a maximum total length (including tail) of 53 cm (21 in).[6]
Its color pattern consists of a light gray or white base color, with dark gray or gray-brown blotches. It has a distinctive, dark stripe that runs along the side of the head, which passes over the eye. The rattle is significantly higher pitched than those of larger species of rattlesnakes, sometimes giving it the nickname "buzztail".
Compared to S. t. tergeminus, it is paler in color, and its belly is nearly white. Midbody, it has 23 rows of dorsal scales instead of 25, and fewer ventral scales and dorsal blotches.[7]
This subspecies is primarily nocturnal, especially during the summer, when the weather is too hot for it to be active, but it can sometimes be found basking.
Drop for drop, massasauga venom is more potent than that of many larger species of rattlesnakes, but due to the lower yield (the amount it is capable of delivering in a single bite), its potential for harm is greatly reduced. It is not considered to be deadly, but the venom is a powerful cytotoxic venom that can cause swelling, necrosis, damage to the skin, and severe pain. Medical treatment should be sought immediately for any venomous snake bite. The antiveninCroFab, while not type-specific, can be used to treat severe envenomations from massasaugas.
The desert massasauga is listed as a species of concern in Colorado, due to its limited range in the state, and it is protected by Arizona state law. It is listed as a sensitive species by the United States Forest Service. NatureServe considers the subspecies Vulnerable.[1]
^Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson; Michael (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. ISBN978-1-4214-0135-5. (Sistrurus catenatus edwardsii, p. 81).
^ abcConant R (1975). A Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of Eastern and Central North America, Second Edition. (First Edition published in 1958). Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company. xviii + 429 pp + 48 plates. ISBN0-395-19979-4 (hardcover), ISBN0-395-19977-8 (paperback).
^ abcWright AH, Wright AA (1957). Handbook of Snakes of the United States and Canada. Ithaca and London: Comstock Publishing Associates, a Division of Cornell University Press. (7th printing, 1985). 1,105 pp. ISBN0-8014-0463-0.
^Ditmars RL (1933). Reptiles of the World. Revised Edition. New York: The MacMillan Company. 329 pp. 89 plates.
^Klauber LM (1997). Rattlesnakes: Their Habitats, Life Histories, and Influence on Mankind. Second Edition. First published in 1956, 1972. Berkeley: University of California Press. ISBN0-520-21056-5.
^Campbell JA, Lamar WW (2004). The Venomous Reptiles of the Western Hemisphere. Ithaca and London: Comstock Publishing Associates. 870 pp. 1,500 plates. ISBN0-8014-4141-2.
Baird SF, Girard CF (1853). Catalogue of North American Reptiles in the Museum of the Smithsonian Institution, Part I.—Serpents. Washington, District of Columbia: Smithsonian Institution. xvi + 172 pp. (Crotalophorus edwardsii, new species, p. 15.)
Mackessy SP (2005). Desert Massasauga Rattlesnake (Sistrurus catenatus edwardsii): A Technical Conservation Assessment. USDA Forest Service. PDFatUSDA Species Conservation Project. Accessed 31 January 2007.
Yarrow HC (1875). "Chapter IV. Report upon the Collections of Batrachians and Reptiles made in Portions of Nevada, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona, during the Years 1871, 1872, 1873, and 1874". pp. 511–584. In:Report upon Geographical and Geological Explorations and Surveys West of the One Hundredth Meridian in Charge of First Lieut. Geo. M. Wheeler, Corps of Engineers, U.S. Army ... Vol. V.—Zoology. Washington, District of Columbia: Secretary of War, U.S. Government. 1,021 pp. (Caudisona edwardsii, pp. 531–532).
