Central American Rattlesnake

Adults commonly exceed 130 cm (51 in) in length, with males growing larger than females. Large males reach 140–160 cm (55–63 in) in some populations. The maximum length is 180 cm (71 in). The body has a rough appearance because the dorsal scale keels are accentuated into protuberances or tuberculations. This is most apparent on the scale rows on either side of the body with a decreasing intensity in the lower rows. The vertebral scales are about as prominently keeled as the fourth row down on the flanks (with the vertebral scales as the first row).

The species is found from Mexico in southwestern Michoacán on the Pacific coast, and Veracruz and the Yucatan Peninsula on the Atlantic coast, south through Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, and Nicaragua to west-central Costa Rica. It is absent from Panama, but apparently does occur on the Atlantic side of Colombia. The type locality given is "Ceylan", which is incorrect. A neotype from the vicinity of El Arenal, Zacapa Department, Guatemala, at 360 m above sea level was selected. Its habitats are semiarid, including dry or very dry tropical forests, thorn woodland, and arid scrub forest. It also occurs in mesic forests with relatively dry, open areas.

To the Mayans, the Yucatan species (C. tzabcan) is greatly revered. The word tzabcan means rattlesnake in Mayan. There are many representations of snakes in Maya art. Although many temples have rattlesnake shapes carved, what the rattlesnake actually symbolizes is unknown. Shamans dry and roast rattlesnakes, grinding them into a powder used as medicine.