In his review of 'Marsh Mud and Mummichogs', Ian Wood correctly called out my Chapter 7 error in referring to the eastern diamondback rattlesnake (in photo) and eastern cottonmouth snake as 'poisonous' rather than 'venomous.'
Claims circulating around the web about eastern diamondbacks being 8.5 to 10 feet long are apparently bogus, although this species is the largest venomous snake in North America. Eastern diamondbacks are known to reach up to 8 feet in length and 10 pounds in weight (http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/ animals/reptiles/eastern-diamondback-rattlesnake/). The ratters hunting mice and rats in the back dunes on Georgia sea islands certainly can be pretty big.
Despite their size and potent venom, eastern diamondback numbers are declining in the Southeastern states, due mainly to land development. One focus of the Orianne Society, a group devoted to the protection of wild reptiles and amphibians, is conservation of habitat for eastern diamondbacks, including projects on Georgia sea islands and in the Altamaha River drainage basin:
Photo of eastern diamond back from Wikimedia Commons,
Photo by Greg Hume
"Crotalus adamanteus 25" by Greg5030 - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons -