Crotalus cerastes

Horizontal desert terrarium, fully secured and lockable (venomous species). Cross-ventilation essential, front opening with escape-proof safety.

An adult individual is content with a moderate floor area but needs a genuine horizontal thermal gradient and a deep layer of sand to bury itself. Desert setup: hides on both sides (warm/cool), a stable rock, a few low features. Enclosure DEDICATED to venomous snakes: locking, signage, emergency protocol and location of the antivenom known before any acquisition.

Dry desert conditions. Nevertheless provide a humid hide or a slightly moistened deep sand zone to aid shedding. Excess humidity = risk of respiratory infection and dermatitis.

A deep (10-20 cm), slightly compactable layer to allow burrowing and 'cratering' (the snake buries itself to ambush). Avoid the calcareous sand sold as 'calci-sand'. A slightly humid base beneath a dry surface reproduces the natural microclimate.

Low to moderate UVB beneficial (Ferguson zone 1-2, ~5% tube). Even though nocturnal, this desert reptile tolerates and benefits from light exposure; always provide shaded hides for self-regulation.

A small, shallow water dish, clean and renewed regularly. The species hydrates mainly through its prey and nighttime humidity, but water must remain available.

Deserts of the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico (Mojave, Sonoran and Colorado deserts; Arizona, California, Nevada, Utah, Baja California and Sonora). A psammophilous species of dunes and sandy plains.

Strict carnivore (ambush predator) — Lizards (a significant part of the diet, especially in juveniles), small rodents (pinkies, young mice); kangaroo rats in the wild.

Ambush hunter from a sand crater. In captivity, feed with long tongs and a venomous-safety protocol; adults every 10-14 days, juveniles more often. Thawed prey of appropriate size. Avoid overfeeding (obesity common in captivity).

Breeding often triggered by a winter brumation (~2-3 months at 12-16 °C with reduced photoperiod). Gestation of about 4-5 months. Neonates are born already venomous and fully independent.

• Dysecdysis (incomplete shedding) linked to insufficient humidity or humid zone
• Respiratory infections (excess humidity, poor ventilation, thermal sub-optimum)
• Stomatitis / oral abscesses ('mouth rot'), particularly after stress or trauma
• Thermal burns from contact with an unshielded heat source
• Internal parasites and mites, very common in wild-caught (WC) individuals