| RATTLESNAKES
Family:
pit vipers (the Crotalidae)
The
rattlesnake is one of four poisonous snakes found in North America.
Equipped with poison fangs, and heat-sensitive pits that identify
warm-blooded prey, the rattlesnake is indeed an agile and effective
hunter.
Once
the prey has been located, the rattlesnake can strike a little more
than the length of its body to sink the fangs into the victim's
flesh. The fangs are perforated like hypodermic needles and
once the flesh has been punctured, the pressure on the poison sacs
at the base of the fangs sends the venom into the wound.
The
fangs of the rattlesnake are to be seriously respected - whether
the rattlesnake is alive or dead. There are accounts of dead
rattlesnakes reflexively jabbing a handler, therefore a dead rattlesnake
should never be handled - especially one that has just died.
Rattles:
An excited rattlesnake will vibrate its tail, thus sending the loosely
fitted rings into a dry, whirring or buzzing noise.
A newborn
rattlesnake yields nothing more than a blunt scale (or prebutton)
at the tip of its tail. With each shedding, a new ring on
the rattle forms. The very first ring is known as 'the button'.
Because some rattlesnakes may shed their skin several times
per year, and rattles have a tendency to break off, the age of the
snake cannot be told by the number of rattles on the tail.
The
young are live-born from eggs hatched within the mother's body.
Average
size of brood:
10 babies
Mother
gives birth: 1
time per year in warmer climates and only once every two years in
colder climates.
Diet for
large rattlesnakes:
rats, mice, poultry, warm-blooded prey.
Diet for
smaller rattlesnakes:
frogs, lizards, salamanders.
Enemies:
Man, birds of prey, larger snakes - especially King Snakes.
Hibernation:
During the colder months, rattlesnakes hibernate in caves, beneath
rocks, in hollow logs in a wound-up position where they will sleep
as such until Spring arrives.
Largest
Rattlesnake:
Diamondback - up to 8 feet long
Deadliest
of North American snakes:
Diamondback
Species
of rattlesnakes:
About 30
Trivia:
A rattlesnake cannot strike from a coiled position. However,
they can swim and bite underwater, just like the water moccasin.
Source/Reference:
Compton's Encyclopedia & Life Experience/Personal Knowledge
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