— HISTORIC FIRST —
L.A. ZOO SUCCESSFULLY BREEDS THREATENED
NEW MEXICO RIDGE-NOSED RATTLESNAKES
The Two Litters, Totaling Six Neonates, Will Be Candidates For Release To The Wild
As Part Of Project Obscurus Recovery Program
PHOTOS/B-ROLL: CLICK HERE
Credit: © Los Angeles Zoo
LOS ANGELES, CA – Sept. 1, 2026 – The L.A. Zoo is excited to announce the historic birth of two litters of New Mexico ridge-nosed rattlesnakes (Crotalus willardi obscurus), a litter of five born on Aug. 18 and another single neonate born separately on Aug. 28. This important milestone marks the first-ever litters born as part of the breeding efforts for Project Obscurus, a landmark collaborative international recovery program for this species. The L.A. Zoo is proud to be the first, but certainly not the last, among Project Obscurus partners to successfully breed this federally threatened species.
“This incredible breeding success is a testament to our animal care team’s deep expertise in managing delicate montane pit vipers,” said Byron Wusstig, Curator of Ectotherms, Los Angeles Zoo. “Being the first of the program partners to welcome these litters of New Mexico ridge-nosed rattlesnakes proves that our collaborative, science-based approach is working well. These two litters represent a tangible lifeline for a species whose numbers have drastically declined in the U.S.”
Project Obscurus builds on more than three decades of continuous research and conservation work on the New Mexico ridge-nosed rattlesnake in the United States and Mexico, beginning in the early 1990s. That long-term effort by researchers and conservation partners established much of the scientific foundation and field knowledge that made the current recovery program possible. Building on that decades-long effort, Project Obscurus was formalized in 2024, with The Rattlesnake Conservancy coordinating the current collaborative recovery efforts. The program’s conservation-breeding partnership includes the Los Angeles Zoo, Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, and San Antonio Zoo, working alongside researchers, wildlife agencies, and conservation partners in the United States and Mexico. The initiative is a collaborative headstart breeding program designed to bolster and diversify the genetics of wild U.S. populations of this highly specialized, montane rattlesnake.
Unlike many reptiles, the New Mexico ridge-nosed rattlesnake is a live-bearing species, meaning it does not lay eggs. The six neonates will be meticulously cared for behind the scenes by L.A. Zoo staff. Once they mature and reach appropriate benchmarks, they and their offspring will become candidates for release into their native habitats in Arizona or New Mexico, where they will directly support struggling wild populations by bolstering genetic diversity.
Widely considered the rarest rattlesnake in the United States and among the most imperiled in North America, the New Mexico ridge-nosed rattlesnake is classified as Threatened by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The New Mexico ridge-nosed rattlesnake is a small, pale gray to gray-brown pit viper known for its shy nature and characteristic upturned snout. This rattlesnake is a small subspecies of viper found in a small area of the U.S. and Mexico, consisting of the Peloncillo Mountains in Arizona and New Mexico, the Animas Mountains of New Mexico, and the Sierra San Luis of Sonora and Chihuahua. A “sky island” snake, this rattlesnake is limited to montane habitats between 5,000 and 8,000 feet (approximately 1,500 – 2,500 meters) in elevation, where it relies primarily on humid woodlands and sometimes grassy slopes. Because of its high level of endemism, meaning it is restricted to a small, fragmented area, this subspecies is at greater risk of catastrophic population decline.
This historic birth is the result of years of cross-border collaboration involving volunteers, researchers, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and numerous international partners in both the U.S. and Mexico.
More information about Project Obscurus and the ongoing recovery efforts can be found at savethebuzztails.org/project-obscurus.
About the Los Angeles Zoo
The Los Angeles Zoo is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) and is dedicated to providing exemplary animal care and wellbeing. As a trusted leader in local and global conservation efforts, the Los Angeles Zoo is saving wildlife and connecting Angelenos to the natural world by delivering diverse learning opportunities and creating unforgettable experiences. The lush 133-acre campus and its passionate and dedicated team welcomes all to be inspired by the Zoo’s vision to create a just and sustainable world where people and wildlife thrive, together. The Zoo is located on Zoo Drive in Griffith Park at the junction of the Ventura (134) and Golden State (5) freeways. Admission is $27 for adults and $22 for children ages 2 to 12. For more information, visit the L.A. Zoo website at www.lazoo.org.
About Project Obscurus
Under the leadership of the Rattlesnake Conservancy, Project Obscurus is an international effort to recover the New Mexico ridge-nosed rattlesnake. This project involves researchers from the U.S. and Mexico, cooperation with 10 different natural resource agencies, zoos, non-profits, and many other independent researchers and volunteers. Project Obscurus aims to understand better environmental factors important to the subspecies (including temperature and humidity) across areas where the rattlesnake lives, continue long-term efforts to find more rattlesnakes within and near areas where they have been previously found, establish a head-starting program for the subspecies at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, Los Angeles Zoo, and San Antonio Zoo, augment populations through genetic rescue within their existing range in the U.S. where the species appears to be declining, and provide more information about the status, life history and ecological role of this amazing rattlesnake to the public. For more information, visit www.savethebuzztails.org.
CONTACT:
Carl Myers |
323-644-4273
lazoo.press@lacity.org