The two litters of New Mexico ridge-nosed rattlesnakes born at the zoo will help preserve the species. (photo by Luc Myers, © Los Angeles Zoo)

The Los Angeles Zoo has announced the historic birth of two litters of New Mexico ridge-nosed rattlesnakes – a litter of five born on Aug. 18 and another single neonate born on Aug. 28. The milestone marks the first litters of the Project Obscurus, a landmark collaborative international recovery program for the species.

Considered the rarest rattlesnake in the United States, the New Mexico ridge-nosed rattlesnake is classified as threatened by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The breeding program builds on more than three decades of research and conservation work on the ridge-nosed rattlesnake species.

The L.A. Zoo is located at 5333 Zoo Drive. For information, visit lazoo.org.