Best Time to See Rattlesnakes in the US
May, August and June is the best time to see rattlesnakes in the United States. This is a national picture built from 113,893 verified iNaturalist observations across 44 states, showing when and where rattlesnakes are most active.
By Tim, founder of Easy Street Markets. I maintain the wildlife database and verify every animal and source myself.
113,893 verified observations of rattlesnakes in the US, recorded across 12 months of the year on iNaturalist.
When rattlesnakes are recorded in the US
Peak month
May
18,451 records (16.2% of the year)
| Month | Observations | Share |
|---|---|---|
| January | 740 | 0.6% |
| February | 1,784 | 1.6% |
| March | 7,477 | 6.6% |
| April | 14,401 | 12.6% |
| Maypeak | 18,451 | 16.2% |
| Junepeak | 15,995 | 14% |
| July | 15,901 | 14% |
| Augustpeak | 16,428 | 14.4% |
| September | 12,967 | 11.4% |
| October | 6,536 | 5.7% |
| November | 2,296 | 2% |
| December | 917 | 0.8% |
Rattlesnakes you are most likely to see
| Species | Verified observations |
|---|---|
| Western Rattlesnake | 34,417 |
| Western Diamond-backed Rattlesnake | 26,307 |
| Timber Rattlesnake | 13,264 |
| Prairie Rattlesnake | 7,785 |
| Mojave Rattlesnake | 4,930 |
| Red Diamond Rattlesnake | 4,691 |
| Sidewinder | 4,280 |
| Southwestern Speckled Rattlesnake | 3,976 |
Across the country, rattlesnakes sightings peak in May, when 18,451 of the 113,893 annual observations are logged, about 16.2% of the national total. Nationwide activity stays high through May, August and June.
The best states to see rattlesnakes by recorded sightings are California (40,403), Arizona (20,753), Texas (17,445), New Mexico (5,713) and Florida (3,333). Each state page below breaks the year down month by month for that state.
The rattlesnakes you are most likely to encounter nationwide are Western Rattlesnake, Western Diamond-backed Rattlesnake and Timber Rattlesnake, the most-recorded species across all states combined.
Best states to see rattlesnakes
- rattlesnakes in California40,403 sightings, peak May
- rattlesnakes in Arizona20,753 sightings, peak August
- rattlesnakes in Texas17,445 sightings, peak June
- rattlesnakes in New Mexico5,713 sightings, peak August
- rattlesnakes in Florida3,333 sightings, peak September
- rattlesnakes in Colorado3,301 sightings, peak July
- rattlesnakes in Utah2,927 sightings, peak May
- rattlesnakes in Pennsylvania2,531 sightings, peak June
- rattlesnakes in Nevada1,631 sightings, peak May
- rattlesnakes in Alabama1,379 sightings, peak May
- rattlesnakes in Georgia1,244 sightings, peak May
- rattlesnakes in Oregon1,184 sightings, peak May
- rattlesnakes in North Carolina1,155 sightings, peak July
- rattlesnakes in Tennessee954 sightings, peak July
- rattlesnakes in Washington945 sightings, peak May
Most-recorded rattlesnakes species nationwide
- Western Rattlesnake34,417 records
- Western Diamond-backed Rattlesnake26,307 records
- Timber Rattlesnake13,264 records
- Prairie Rattlesnake7,785 records
- Mojave Rattlesnake4,930 records
- Red Diamond Rattlesnake4,691 records
Frequently asked questions
When is the best time to see rattlesnakes in the US?+
May is the single best month nationwide, with the broader peak running through May, August and June, based on 113,893 verified observations across 44 states.
Which states are best for seeing rattlesnakes?+
By recorded sightings, the top states are California, Arizona and Texas. California leads with 40,403 verified observations.
How many rattlesnakes sightings are recorded in the US each year?+
About 113,893 verified rattlesnakes observations are logged on iNaturalist across 44 states with enough data to chart a seasonal pattern.
What kinds of rattlesnakes live in the US?+
The most-recorded species nationwide are Western Rattlesnake, Western Diamond-backed Rattlesnake and Timber Rattlesnake, based on all-time iNaturalist counts.