Moderately sized, this species attains an adult length of approximately 90 cm, and weighs about 1 kilogram.

[3][1] They exist only in thornscrub and desert habitats on the southeastern half of the island.

Due to their extremely limited geographic range, about 230 animals are left in the wild, and the ever encroaching human habitation into their territory (with only about 25 square kilometers left undeveloped), the Aruba Island rattlesnake is among the rarest rattlesnakes in the world.

The snake is now a part of the Species Survival Plan for captive breeding.

After a gestation period of four months, females give birth to between five and fifteen live young at a time.