The rattlesnake, whose scientific name is C rotalus, belongs to the group of crotalinos or pit vipers, a subfamily of snakes that are characterized by being poisonous and found distributed in various areas of the American continent.
In reality there are 29 species of rattlesnakes and a remarkable common feature in all of them: they have a horny formation (scales left over from shedding skin) at the end of the tail that ends up forming a rattle, which is capable of emitting sounds and fulfills the important function of warning of the danger of this species and of protecting it from being stepped on by various mammals.
This is a species that arouses great concern, for this reason, in this AnimalWised article we will provide you with more information about this viper and discover what it is like the rattlesnake feeding.
Rattlesnake Habitat
It is important to know where the rattlesnake lives because the habitat of an animal is closely linked to its feeding, since the environment must be adequate to provide all the food necessary for the survival of this species.
The different species of rattlesnake are distributed throughout the American continent, from southeastern Canada to northern Argentina, and the specific environment can vary markedly from one species to another, ranging from desert areas to jungles.
How do rattlesnakes hunt?
The rattlesnake is a master of the art of ambush and thanks to its great variety of colors it is able to go unnoticed while Coiled up it waits for its prey to approach, when it approaches, the rattlesnake doesn't take even a second to catch it in its mouth.
As we mentioned at the beginning of this article, it is one of the most poisonous snakes in the world and the power of its venom will be key in its attack.
At first the rattlesnake opens its mouth wide and catches its prey with its lower jaw, then sticks its two long hollow fangs in its upper jaw. These fangs are connected to glands that contain poison and the toxins flow under high pressure through the fangs until they are injected into the body of the prey.
Once the poison has been injected into the prey, the rattlesnake opens its mouth and lets go of its food, which will not go very far, it is then that the snake is able to dislocate its jaws and swallow the hunted animal, after such an effort, the rattlesnake can rest for weeks.
What does the rattlesnake hunt?
The prey will vary enormously depending on the species of rattlesnake, since between one species and another we can observe important differences in size that will determine the type of animal hunted.
Yes, we can say that rattlesnakes feed mainly on vertebrate animals, although they may also include the occasional invertebrate. The smaller species of crotalus feed mainly on lizards but the larger ones can prey on mammals such as rabbits and squirrels
The rattlesnake, an endangered animal
The rattlesnake has fascinated since ancient times, and even some cultures have given it a divine meaning, unfortunately today some species are in danger of extinction, so raising awareness about it is a priority.
As the most threatened species, we must highlight the Aruban rattlesnake (Crotalus Unicolor), which is in critical danger of extinction since there are less than 250 adult specimens that remain in the wild. In the image you can see its beautiful shape.
