Rattlesnakes

how does a rat make its run into my garden shoveling all that earth before it?

Literally seconds ! There was a recent documentary on cable TV by David Attenborough - where a rattlensake bit a mouse that wandered too close. The mouse twitched a couple of times and was dead - my estimate was about 2.5 seconds !

Because the rattle is a warning against predators - not a lure to entice prey. Snakes hunt by stealth, so using its rattle would likely scare prey away since they're 'programmed ' to be wary of strange noises.

Birds of prey, such as hawks and eagles, as well as roadrunners, some mammalian carnivores, including the raccoon, and kingsnakes will kill and eat a rattlesnake. Baby rattlers may fall victim to large tarantulas and centepedes.

Because the campers or the prisoners know the bites are usually not fatal so they will sometimes allow themselves to be bitten so that they can spend time recuperating in their tents and not be forced to dig holes in the sweltering heat.

Yes, rattlesnakes are carnivores in the sense that they devour small rodents and adolescent birds.

Some rattlesnake species hibernate during the cold winter months. They often gather together for hibernation in large numbers (even more than 1000 snakes) and huddle together in underground dens. Rattlesnakes usually return to the same den year after year, sometimes travelling several miles to get there. They share their winter burrows with other species that may hibernate during the same time period.

The (Asiatic) Reticulated Python (Python reticulatus) is a member of the Pythonidae family and has and average length of 15ft to 25ft however, it is possible for some to grow near 30ft with a weight of 300lbs; the largest was measured at 33ft; they can be located in Southeast Asia and can be found in the tropical rainforest's, a member of the Boa family the female can have as many as 100 eggs at a time (Average is 60 eggs) and the hatchlings are at least 2 ft (61 cm) length, life span of the python is 25 to 30 years. The diet consists of small mammals and birds, the larger the python the larger the prey which include pigs, dogs, cats and primates, etc., the python ambushes it's prey and suffocates the victim rather then crushing it, after swallowing the prey whole digestion takes many days to several weeks depending on the size of the prey.

There are two explanations:

1. Efficiency - The Sidewinder lives generally in dry, hot and sandy environments.

The normal mode of propulsion of snakes requires a somewhat solid surface,

as the belly scales, moved in a peristaltic fashion, push against the surface. In a

environment with very loose sand, which can act almost like a fluid, the scales find

very little resistance and hence would produce very little propulsion. The motion

of the sidewinder uses entire segments of its body to act as a "foot" or "stand"

from which to propel itself forward, then re-coils and starts over, thus affording

it more resistance from the sand and in turn better propulsion.

2. Heat - By keeping only intermittent contact with the sand the snake lowers its

heat absorption and prolongs the time it can spend in the open.

While both explanations are perfectly reasonable, it seem to make more sense that

the evolutionary reason for the Sidewinder's movement is most likely the propulsion,

where as the heat aspect is a minor benefit.

The eastern diamondback is larger than the timber rattlesnake, and they would probably ignore each other in the wild.

Some rattlesnakes live in deserts but a few species live in grasslands and forests.

In general, rattlers receive no parental care after birth. They may 'hang out' with the mother for a few days before they head out on their own. Some scientists believe that the Arizona black rattlesnakes actually do care for the young and may share the mothering activities with other females.

Small mammals such as prairie dogs, rabbits, gophers, chipmunks, ground squirrels, mice and rats, the more the better, usually hunting at night. It ambushes victims along their trails or attacks them in their burrows, sometimes striking and swallowing an animal which weighs more than the snake itself.

The eastern diamondback is greatly reduced in North Carolina, the northern limit of its range, where it has been declared an endangered species. In more southerly regions, as Florida, Georgia, and Alabama, they are still found in decent numbers.

You can find rattlesnakes in most of the southern portions of the United States and in much of South America. These animals appreciate warm weather and are found in areas of Florida, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, and in Georgia.

Rattlesnakes sleep when they wish. During hot summer days they may sleep during the day and emerge at night. If they have recently had a large meal, they may sleep for a few days until the meal is digested.

Since this species is small and unable to produce much venom, it is unlikely that it is able to deliver a fatal bite to a human adult.

The timber rattlesnake is considered a species of least concern, not endangered as a species. This is due mainly to the species large range, found over much of the east, from Minnesota to Florida. It is however, threatened in some states.

Rattlesnakes are native to the Americas. They can be found from Southwestern Canada in North America to the Central Argentina in South America. They can be found in almost every type of habitat that can be found in these areas. The habitats include Prairies, Marshes, Deserts and Forests. They prefer open rocky areas where they can hide from large predators and identify plentiful prey like rodents, lizards etc that live amidst the rocks.

In answer to your question, yes. They can kill though they rarely kill adult humans. it has to do with the amount of venom the snake injects, the ensuing activities, and the health/allergies of the person who was bitten. On average there or sever or serious consequences even some long term effects, but with proper care and treatment, these can be minimized easily.

Yes - they locate their prey by means of heat-sensitive 'pits' on their upper lip.

Could you be more specific for me? I know different regions have different understood names for animals but there's three or four snakes here in southeastern Louisiana that are considered "Black Snakes." They could lay anywhere from 10-40 or even give live birth.

i dont know the entire answer but heres is what i can say: Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species. the full answer you can type it on Google and wikipedia can take over this question!

-Meklit K. Moges

It depends upon the season of the year and climate. During the really hot summer days, rattlesnakes will emerge only at night when it is cooler. During cooler months (even on mild winter days) they may emerge during the day to sun themselves and then return to a safer, warmer location at night.