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Origin of herpetological name of rattlesnake on the Gadsden flag.

Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake

Crotalus adamanteus PALISOT DE BEAUVOIS, 1799

It is a venomous pit viper found in the southeastern United States. It is the heaviest venomous snake in America and the largest rattlesnake. It featured prominently in the American Revolution, specifically as the symbol of what many consider to be the first flag of the United States of America, the Gadsden flag which was designed by Christopher Gadsden (1724-1805) 1, the principal leader of the South Carolina Patriot movement during the American Revolution 2.

According to tradition, the Gadsden flag’s rattlesnake is Crotalus horridus Timber rattlesnake 3. However, the dorsal coloration patterns of the vast majority of drawings made on this flag and its geographic distribution where this flag was designed in 1775, frankly are more consistent with Crotalus adamanteus Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake (from Greek krotalon which means “rattle” and adámas “invincible”).

Likewise, the type locality (site of the specimen (s) with which the species was originally described) of Crotalus adamanteus is restricted to Charleston, South Carolina 4,5. City where Christopher Gadsden lived. This further increases the likelihood that Gadsden was inspired by this local rattlesnake to design it.

1 Gadsden Chrystopher. 1911. Encyclopædia Britannica. Volume 11.

2 The Patriot Leaders in South Carolina - Brigadier General Christopher Gadsden. www.carolana.com.

3 Nash C.J., T. B. Erickson. 2018. An Historical and Medical Review of the North American Timber Rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus). J Pharmacol Clin Toxicol. 6(2):1106.

4 Palisot de Beauvois 1799. Memoir on amphibia. Serpents. Trans American Philos Soc. 4: 362-381.

5 Schmidt, K. P. 1953. A Checklist of North American Amphibians and Reptiles. 6th ed. American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists, Chicago, 280 pp.