Sidewinder
SidewinderSidewinderSidewinderSidewinder

Sidewinder

Crotalus cerastes

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
10–20% · With luck
overall probability at Joshua Tree National Park
136 Verified records at Joshua Tree National Park
October Best month highest sighting rate
🌙 Nocturnal When it's active during nighttime hours (6pm–6am)

Crotalus cerastes, also known commonly as the horned rattlesnake, the sidewinder, and the sidewinder rattlesnake, is a species of pit viper, a venomous snake in the subfamily Crotalinae of the family Viperidae. The species is native to desert regions of the Southwestern United States and adjacent northwestern Mexico. Three subspecies are recognized as being valid. Wikipedia →

10–20% of wildlife watchers report a Sidewinder sighting in Joshua Tree National Park, based on 136 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

Closest Relatives at Joshua Tree National Park

Southwestern Speckled Rattlesnake
Endemic

Southwestern Speckled Rattlesnake

🌅 Crepuscular Reptile

Crotalus pyrrhus

20–30% · Possible
Western Rattlesnake
LC

Western Rattlesnake

☀️🌙 Day & Night Reptile

Crotalus oreganus

5–10% · With luck
Mohave Rattlesnake
LC

Mohave Rattlesnake

☀️🌙 Day & Night Reptile

Crotalus scutulatus

5–10% · With luck
Red Diamond Rattlesnake
LC

Red Diamond Rattlesnake

☀️🌙 Day & Night Reptile

Crotalus ruber

5–10% · With luck
Western Diamondback Rattlesnake
LC Endemic

Western Diamondback Rattlesnake

🌙 Nocturnal Reptile

Crotalus atrox

<5% · Rare

📅 Monthly Probability

<5
Jan
10–20
Feb
10–20
Mar
10–20
Apr
10–20
May
10–20
Jun
10–20
Jul
10–20
Aug
20–30
Sep
20–30
Oct
10–20
Nov
5–10
Dec

🌙 When They're Spotted

Most active during nighttime hours (6pm–6am) · across all parks (global)

🌙Nocturnal
☀️🌙🌙12am6am12pm6pm12am

Global Distribution

Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.

where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is)  ·  parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Probability
1 Death Valley National Park 🇺🇸 United States
50–60%
2 Joshua Tree National Park 🇺🇸 United States
10–20%
3 Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
4 Zion National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
5 Grand Canyon National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Sidewinder in Joshua Tree National Park?

About 15% of wildlife watchers report a Sidewinder sighting in Joshua Tree National Park, based on 136 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Sidewinder in Joshua Tree National Park?

October has the highest sighting rate for Sidewinder in Joshua Tree National Park in our monthly data.

← Back to Joshua Tree National Park