Snakes World

Rattlesnakes are part of the venomous snakes group. There are currently 32 different species of rattlesnakes. All 32 species are found in North and South America.

Rattlesnakes are predators who hunt in many different habitats. They search for small animals like birds and rodents. Rattlesnakes kill their prey with a poisonous bite. They do not suffocate their prey like many pythons.

Rattlesnakes have fangs that they use to inject a large amount of hemotoxic venom. Once the prey has been bitten, the poison travels through their bloodstream. It destroys tissue and does a lot of damage along the way. The venom causes swelling, internal bleeding, and massive pain.

These predators are most known for the warning signal they give off. The shaking of the rattle is enough to scare away anything considering them for a meal. Any human that crosses its path will surely back away upon hearing the famous rattle noise.Unless, of course, the human happens to be hunting the rattle snake.

However, not all predators are deterred. Rattlesnakes do fall prey to various other animals. Some of the culprits are hawks, king snakes, and a variety of other species such as weasels. Many rattlesnakes are even killed by humans. Rattlesnake populations in many areas are currently being threatened. Habitat destruction, poaching, and extermination campaigns have put a serious threat on rattlesnake populations.

Of all snakebites, rattlesnake bites are the leading cause of snakebite injuries in the United States and other North American countries., Recent statistics show rattle snake bites cause around 82% of fatalities. An important consideration is that rattlesnakes rarely bite people unless threatened.

One amazing fact is that a rattlesnake head severed from the remainder of its body, can actually bite and inject venom for an hour after it is removed. So exercise caution if you see a rattlesnake head. It is not uncommon to see the tongue still flickering too.

Campers, hikers, and others should be very observant of rattlesnakes. These snakes will usually avoid wide open spaces. Be careful when moving logs or rocks as the snakes may be hiding in these places. They also like to sun themselves on ledges. If you cross paths with a rattlesnake, keep your distance and allow the rattlesnake to retreat on its own.

These venomous snakes will often hibernate in the cold winter months. Rattlesankes will gather in large numbers (sometimes as many as 1000 snakes or more). They will huddle together to keep warm. It is not uncommon to find other small animals, such as turtles, in the rattlesnake den as well.

Rattlesnakes are very important to our ecological system. They play a very important role by killing rodents. This limits the numbers of rodents. Killing rodents, namely mice and rats, prevents crop damage and stabilizes ecosystems.