Rattlesnakes

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.

Yes. They are poisonous, even when they are just born.

Yes, rattlesnakes in northern California do hibernate.

You can eat any type of rattlesnake. The meat is nonvenomous.

Yes, rattlesnakes are reptiles and vertebrates and do indeed have back bones.

Yes, it is fairly common in some places there.

A coyote would and an a red tail hawk are both found there. They would eat a rattlesnake.

Humans will also eat them. The meat is tough and rather dry, but tastes very good when grilled over mesquite wood.

Rattlesnakes help control the populations of rodents, many of which can carry diseases deadly to man. Rodents are also in direct competition with man for food and destroy or contaminate large amounts of human food every year.

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.

I found that, "The Timber Rattlesnake's year begins in April when the hibernating snakes stir from their long winter sleep and emerge from their communal dens to sun themselves on warm days around its mouth. ... As August draws to a close the cooling nights signal the snakes that it's time to return to their ancestral den for the winter. ... By the middle of September all the snakes are safely inside the den with the newly born young arriving last. Growing sluggish and sleepy they finally enter hibernation and sleep while winter's cold and storms rage outside."

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Timber rattlers can be found in western Maryland.

Desert rattlesnakes get most of the water they require from their prey. They hide during the heat of the day under rocks, and use burrows dug by other animals.

They do most of their hunting after sunset, when the day cools.

The Rattle Watch was a group of colonists during the Dutch era who patrolled from sunset until dawn.

They carried weapons, lanterns and wooden rattles. The rattles made a very loud, distinctive sound and were used to warn farmers and colonists of threatening situations.

When they heared this sound, the colonists would rally to defend themselves or form bucket-brigades to put out fires.

The Rattle Watchmen are believed to have carried lanterns that had green glass inserts. This was to help identify them while they were on patrol at night. When they returned to their Watch House from patrol, they hung their lantern on a hook by the front door to show that the Watchman was present in the Watch House. Today, green lights are still hung outside the entrances of Police Precincts as a symbol that the "Watch" is present and vigilant.

Yes, some species need more than others, such as eastern species, but even desert rattlers need some water, usually taken from the bodies of their prey.

There are not any Eastern Kingsnakes in Pa. Their range extends north into Maryland and Southern New Jersey. There have been no recent documented sightings in Pa. There are historic records from southern Pennsylvania but these are unverified.

3,000rattles in one minute.

If there is any thing swollen or if your dogs limping and wineing

Rattlesnake bites are very toxic, and can be toxic enough to kill a cow. If that cow has a calf at her side, you will have an orphan calf to deal with. If she's pregnant, then the fetus dies with her.

However, if the cow lives and instead develops a serious infection, this could cause her to abort the fetus inside her, and even kill the fetus. As for the calf at her side, milk quality and quantity will be affected. Infections are serious, and tend to reduce milk quality and quantity, and leave with a very hungry calf that cannot suckle from his momma. Usually rattler bites are so serious that the cow has to be put down eventually, and the calf needs to be cared for and/or put on a surrogate cow.

no one knows exacly how much but there are

alot

Probably somewhere warm and dark. Popular hide outs are under floorboards, in unfinished basements, under beds, or under shelves.

All true rattlesnake species (of the genus Crotalus) and all pygmy rattlesnake species (of the genus Sistrurus) are ovoviviparous, meaning that they retain embryos in egg-sacks that are retained within the mother's body until they are fully developed. Ovoviviparous animals DO NOT LAY eggs, they give birth to LIVE young. Crotalus horridus (the Timber Rattlesnake) is ovoviviparous, and gives birth to LIVE young, and does not lay eggs.

In my experience, females will give birth to anywhere between four to eighteen live young. I have had litters as big as 22, but I would say that the average is probably somewhere around nine.

Studies have shown that relocated snakes have lower survival rates than snakes that are not moved. Distance matters, too. Snakes moved long distances - more than one kilometer (.62 miles) - have survival rates conspicuously lower than those moved shorter distances. 100 meters is ideal for the snakes survival.

Wikipedia quotes the Timber Rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus) as attaining an average length of 91-152 cm (35.8-59.8 in) - but there are exceptions as with all animal species. The full Wikipedia article is available via the related link.