About Crotalus morulus Klauber, 1952
Crotalus morulus, first formally described by Klauber in 1952, shows consistent color patterning across life stages with subtle age-related differences. Juveniles have a grey base color with black dorsal blotches, and dark pigment blends between these distinct blotched patterns. Adult individuals retain a grey base body color, but their dorsal markings are dark brown rather than black. This species can be distinguished from the closely related Crotalus lepidus by its overall darker overall coloration and a higher total number of body blotches. The rattle of Crotalus morulus is known to be fluorescent; this fluorescence is duller in adult rattles than it is in the rattles of neonate individuals. Crotalus morulus is confirmed to be ovoviviparous.
