All three pygmy rattlesnakes primarily live in the Southeast and Midwest regions of the United States. The Carolina pygmies live in the Carolinas, Georgia and northern Alabama, while dusky pygmies dwell in the Atlantic Coast regions of South Carolina, Georgia and Florida. Duskies also live near the Gulf Coast areas of Alabama and Mississippi. Most pygmies west of the Mississippi River are western pygmies; the distribution of western pygmies includes Texas, Arkansas, southwest Tennessee and Missouri.
Dusky pygmy rattlesnakes live near aquatic habitats, according to the University of Georgia's Savannah River Ecology Laboratory. Some of these habitats are slow-moving streams, lakes, marshes, swamps and ponds. Duskies also live in woodlands with semi-aquatic environments. Carolina pygmies primarily live in grassland areas, including the Piedmont Triad and Coastal Plains regions of North Carolina. The grassland areas of North and South Carolina offer pine forests and sandhills for pygmy rattlesnakes to find refuge and prey. Similarly to the Carolina subspecies, western pygmies live in forests. However, western pygmies also prefer living near where forests border grassland areas.
The habitats of pygmy rattlesnakes are home to many of the pygmy rattlesnake's diet. Adult and young pygmies have different methods of hunting. Young pygmies have bright-colored tails, which serve as a contrast to forest's and grassland's colors. Caudal luring is a technique young pygmies employ, meaning they draw animals to their tail and then attack when prey are within striking distance. Adult pygmies use their scale colors as camouflage within their surroundings; these snakes sit and wait for prey to approach them.
Pygmy rattlesnakes are a "Least Concern" species on a worldwide basis, says the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. These snakes are shy creatures and rarely appear in the open for humans to see. During the day, pygmy rattlesnakes hide under rocks or in burrows. However, two states in the pygmy rattlesnakes' native range -- North Carolina and Tennessee -- provide protection to all snakes. The pygmy rattlesnake is endangered in New York state, where it lives in the Cicero Swamp Wildlife Management Area.