Rattlesnakes

I have heard a really loud and strange gurgling sound from a very hungry snake. I have heard hissing sound with almost a little hiccup or bark at the end. Sounds weird, but he was not happy, and made the same sound several times before leaving my deck. He was after the House Wren babies just hatched.

In 1987 I personally saw a large eastern diamondback that had been shot by security guards earlier in the day in a swamp near a medium caliber test range just northwest of Lakeland, Florida, less than 2 miles south of I-4. The snake's head had been severed, but I estimate the length of the snake's body was in the range of six to seven feet. What amazed me was the girth of the snake's body, which I estimate to be well in excess of twelve inches at the center. I have read many descriptions of the size and weight of eastern diamondbacks, some of which say a max of 15-20 pounds, some say up to 15 kg. I understand that this may appear to readers as an exaggeration, but I estimate that the body of the dead snake weighed somewhere in a range of 40 pounds of more. I work out regularly, so I know what 40 lbs. means. The head of the snake was very large, approximately six-plus inches across. Had I known then what I have read about these snakes, I would have urged the guards to take the specimens (there were two, the second also quite large but not nearly so) to an authority for examination, but unfortunately I did not. I'll be happy to answer relevant questions, but most of what I have is presented here.

Many, if not most, of the babies born in a year are taken as prey before they reach one year of age. Once the snakes are in their second year they stand a better chance of surviving and can live for 20 years or more.

Rattlesnake are Carnivores. They consume Mice, Rats, Small Birds and other small rodents that inhabit the habitats they live in. They play an important ecological role by limiting the size of rodent populations in their ecosystems. Rattlesnakes lay motionless for their prey and kill it quickly with a venomous bite. Even if the prey is lucky enough to run off, it will die soon and the Rattlesnake will follow the scent and then swallow it. They are on top of their food chain, but they have some animals like the King Snake on top of it.

baby rattlesnakes ar born wiht these tools that they need to survive with and the they move away shortly in a period of time

A western diamond back rattle snake can live up to 11 years

It depends what part you are in. I know in South Western Wy there are Great Basin Gopher Snakes, Wandering Garters, Western Yellow bellied Racers, and Midget faded rattlesnakes. There are also Bull, milk, and Prairie Rattlers in other parts of the state.

I was told that the male rattlesnake's rattles get smaller from the body of the snake to the tip of the rattles Making a set of rattles in the shape of a Christmas tree and the female rattlesnake's rattles are the same width from the body of the snake until the tip of the rattles. I was told the by a taxidermist.

The rattles of a male rattelsnake lay vertical and the female lay horizontal (flat)

Black snakes are not lethal. They do bite when provoked, and the bite probably would make you sick, because like other reptiles, snakes do carry Salmonella. So, the bite of a black snake won't kill you, but the bacteria naturally carried by the snake could make you very ill.

Absolutely. Rattlesnakes enter the world armed with both fangs and venom, and are immediately deadly. In fact, when the snake is young they are extremely dangerous. Young rattlers will readily stike when they feel threatened. They do not have any control over the amount of venom that they deliver in a bite (as opposed to adults who are capable of delivering bites without injecting venom, called a "dry bite"). The babies bite and pump massive quantites of their potent venom into the victim, helping to ensure their survival.

All rattlesnakes have the potential to kill a human but some species, such as the Mojave rattlesnake, the tiger rattlesnake and others, are very venomous and can cause a fairly rapid demise if bitten and medical care is not close at hand.

Rattlesnakes originated in the Americas, primarily along the West Coast where the landscape is drier. There are several prominent rattlesnake types, including Timber Rattlesnakes which are found in the Northeastern region of America, Diamondback Rattlesnakes from the Mid-South and Southwestern regions of America, and the Cane Break Rattlesnake from the Mid-South and Southeastern regions of America.

That depends on the species. Some, such as the pygmy rattlesnakes, can grow to almost 2 feet in length while an eastern diamondback may exceed 10 feet as an adult. Most rattlers average between 2-5 feet.

Western diamondbacks are found only in North America, in the United States and Mexico.

The diamondback rattlesnake got its name from the diamond shaped pattern on its back.

Rattlesnakes have venom glands, not poison glands. They cannot remove these glands and would not have reason to do so. The venom glands are what makes it possible for them to catch food and defend themselves from predators.

Rattlesnakes are found in the savanna, especially in South America.

No, the rattle's skin sheds off, not the rattle itself.

Rattlesnakes apparently do sometimes lay eggs, though not until they're ready to hatch (usually they hatch while still inside the mother).

There are numerous species of Rattlesnakes and most of them are of the average size and weight. They are usually around 3 to 4 feet tall with some large adults growing to be above the 4 feet length. The Eastern Diamond back is the largest of the Rattlesnake species and is around 7 feet in average length and weight around 12 to 15 kilograms. All other Rattlesnake species are much smaller and lighter than the eastern diamondback.

Common names include eastern diamondback rattlesnake, eastern diamond-backed rattlesnake, eastern diamondback, diamond rattlesnake, diamond-back rattlesnake, common rattlesnake, diamond-back, diamond(-patch) rattler, eastern diamond-back (rattlesnake), eastern diamond rattlesnake, Florida diamond-back (rattlesnake), Florida rattlesnake, lozenge-spotted rattlesnake, rattler, rattlesnake, southeastern diamond-backed rattlesnake, southeastern diamond-backed rattler, southern woodland rattler, water rattle, water rattlesnake, and diamondback rattlesnake.

1. Hawks
2. coyotes
3. king snakes
4. other, larger snakes and predators

Yes, it is venomous.
That depends - on a number of factors. Where the person is bitten, how much venom is injected (and what type), how long until the victim gets help, the general health of the victim - allplay a part in whether the person survives or not.

There are about 16 diffrent types of them, so it really depends on what one? But the rattle snakes average weight is (5lbs) or the maximum it can reach is (10lbs).
There are numerous species of Rattlesnakes and most of them are of the average size and weight. They are usually around 3 to 4 feet tall with some large adults growing to be above the 4 feet length. The Eastern Diamond back is the largest of the Rattlesnake species and is around 7 feet in average length and weight around 12 to 15 kilograms. All other Rattlesnake species are much smaller and lighter than the eastern diamondback.