What type of snake mimics a rattlesnake and shakes its tail?
The pit vipers are a group of venomous snakes of the Crotalus and Sistrurus genera.The Greek means "castanet" and is the root of the scientific name Crotalus.The Latinized form of the Greek word for "tail rattler" (, seistrouros) is what the name Sistrurus is.The 36 known species of rattlesnakes are all native to the Americas, ranging from southern British Columbia in Canada to central Argentina.
Rattlesnakes hunt small animals such as birds and rodents in a wide range of habitats.
Rattlesnakes receive their name from the rattle located at the end of their tails, which makes a loud rattling noise when vibrated that deters predators or serves as a warning to passers-by.Rattlesnakes are prey to hawks, weasels, king snakes, and a variety of other species.Rattlesnakes are weak and immature.Humans kill a lot of rattlesnakes.Many Rattlesnake populations are threatened by habitat destruction.
In North America, rattlesnakes are the leading cause of snakebite injuries.The bites of rattlesnakes are not fatal unless provoked or threatened.
Rattlesnakes are native to the Americas, living in diverse habitats from southwestern Canada to central Argentina.Most of the species live in the American Southwest and Mexico.There are at least four species east of the Mississippi River and two in South America.Texas and Arizona have the most types of rattlesnakes.
Rattlesnakes are found in almost every type of habitat, but individual species can only live within certain plant associations in a narrow range of altitudes.Most species live outdoors.Rocks provide cover from plentiful prey.Rodents, lizards, insects, etc.There are open basking areas.Rattlesnakes can be found in a wide range of habitats including prairies, marshes, deserts, and forests.Rattlesnakes prefer a temperature range between 80 and 90 F (26 and 32C), but can survive temperatures below freezing, as long as they don't get too cold.[7]
The most likely ancestral area of rattlesnakes is in Mexico.Pine-oak forests are the most probable vegetation for the ancestral area.Feeding habits play an important ecological role by limiting the size of rodents, which prevents crop damage.[9]
Rattlesnakes eat small animals.They hunt for their prey in holes or lie in wait.The rattlesnakes defence and hunting mechanisms are dependent on its environment.Environmental temperature can affect the ability of animals.The prey is killed quickly with a venomous bite.If the prey moves away before it dies, the rattlesnake will follow it.When it locates the fallen prey, it checks for signs of life by using its snout, tongue, and sense of smell.The rattlesnake locates its head by smelling the odors from its mouth.The head-first ingestion of the prey allows wings and limbs to fold at the joints in a way which reduces the amount of food eaten.The stomach fluids of rattlesnakes allow for the digestion of flesh and bone.Optimal digestion occurs when the snake has a body temperature between 80 and 85 F.The rattlesnake continues to hunt if the prey is small.The snake will rest until the prey is eaten, if it was an adequate meal.[17]
Rattlesnakes need their own body weight in water to stay hydrated.The method in which they drink depends on the water source.There are larger bodies of water.They suck in water by opening and closing their jaws.They sip the liquid from small puddles either by capillary action or by flattening and flooding their lower jaws.[18]
Rattlesnakes are often preyed upon by a variety of animals.Small predatory birds kill and eat neonates of the smaller crotaline species.The Solenopsis invicta is one of the species of ants known to prey upon neonates.Neonates can be eaten by hungry adult rattlesnakes.The small proportion of rattlesnakes that make it to their second year are often preyed upon by coyotes, eagles, hawks, owls, falcons, feral pigs, badgers, indigo snakes, and kingsnakes.[19]
The common kingsnake,Lampropeltis getula, is immune to the venom of rattlesnakes and other vipers, and is part of its natural diet.Rattlesnakes sense kingsnake presence.When they realize a kingsnake is nearby, they begin practicing a set of defensive postures.In order to prevent the kingsnake from getting a hold on it, the rattlesnake keeps its head low to the ground.The kingsnake is faced with an elevated coil after the rattlesnake jerks its body about.The head is protected from the kingsnake by using the elevated coil.[21]
Like all pit vipers, rattlesnakes have two organs that can sense radiation: their eyes and a set of heat-sensitive "pits" on their faces that allow them to locate prey and move towards it.The rattlesnake has an advantage in hunting for warm-blooded creatures at night because of the short effective range of these pits.[22][23]
Rattlesnakes can detect thermal radiation emitted by warm-blooded organisms in their environment.In order to function like a camera eye, thermal radiation in the form of IR light passes through the opening of the pit and strikes the back wall, warming the organ.The rattlesnake can detect temperature changes of less than 3 C in its immediate surroundings due to the high density of heat-sensitivereceptor innervating.The trigeminal nerve is used to create thermal maps of the snake's surroundings.Due to the small sizes of the pit openings, thermal images are low in resolution and contrast.The thermal images from the pit organs help the rattlesnakes see their surroundings in low levels of light.Research shows that the temperature sensitivity of the pit organs is related to the activity of a temperature-sensitive ion channel.[28]
Rattlesnake eyes are well suited for nocturnal use.During daylight hours, rattlesnakes' vision is more acute and they are not exclusively nocturnal.Rattlesnakes have cone cells, which means they can see color.The rattlesnake eye doesn't have a fovea, making it hard for them to see clearly.They rely on the perception of movement.Rattlesnake eyes are capable of horizontal rotation, but they don't appear to follow moving objects.30
Rattlesnakes have a great sense of smell.They can sense olfactory stimuli both through their nostrils and by flicking their tongues, which carry scent-bearing particles to the Jacobson's organs in the roof of their mouths.[31][32]
Like all snakes, rattlesnakes lack external ear openings, and the structures of their middle ear are not as specialized as those of mammals.Their sense of hearing is not very good, but they are able to sense the sound of the ground.[28]
Rattlesnake fangs are connected by venom ducts to large venom glands near the outer edge of the upper jaw.The venom is squeezed through the ducts and into the fangs by the muscles on the sides of the venom glands.The fangs are folded against the palate when not in use.There are 33 and 34 words.
Rattlesnakes are capable of killing prey at birth.Adult rattlesnakes shed their fangs every 6 weeks.Behind the functional pair are at least three pairs of replacement fangs.36
Hemotoxic, the venom destroys tissue, causing necrosis and coagulopathy.The tiger rattlesnake and some varieties of the Mojave rattlesnake have neurotoxins that can cause paralysis.The venom toxicity of C. tigris is considered to be among the highest of all rattlesnake venoms.One of the most toxic snake venoms in the Americas is produced by C. scutulatus.[41]
Rattlesnake venom has a mixture of five to 15 different substances.It contains components that were evolved to destroy the prey and break down the tissue for later ingestion.The venom retains its toxicity for a long time in storage.[32]
Larger snakes are often capable of storing larger volumes of venom.[42]
The rattle is used as a warning for rattlesnakes.The scales that cover the tip of the tail were modified to create the hollow, interlocked segments that make up the rattle.The rattling noise is amplified because the segments are hollow, due to the contraction of the "shaker" muscles in the tail.The muscles that cause the rattle to shake are some of the fastest known, firing 50 times per second on average for up to three hours.[46]
After the first skin is removed from the snake's tail, the "prebutton" is replaced by a new one.No sound can be made by the rattle until a second segment is added.The snake may shed its skin several times a year depending on food supply and growth rate, and a new rattle segment is added each time.
Even though Rattlesnakes travel with their rattles held up to protect them from damage, their day-to-day activities in the wild still cause them to break off end segments.The number of rattles on its tail is unrelated to the age of a rattlesnake.It was 45 degrees by the end of the day.
The males have longer tails because they contain the inverted hemipenes.The tails of males and females narrow at the vent.48
Rattlesnakes have a circulatory system that is powered by a three-chambered heart with two atria and one ventricle.The right atrium is receiving blood from the systemic circuit.The left atrium receives oxygenated blood from the lungs in the pulmonary circuit and pumps it to the ventricle and through the systemic circuit.50
Rattlesnake skin has scales which cover the entire body, providing protection from threats such as dehydration and physical trauma.The top of the rattlesnake's head is covered with small scales, except for a few species, which have crowded plates over the snout.The skin of snakes is very sensitive to pressure and can feel pain.[52]
Changes in air temperature can guide snakes towards warm basking/shelter locations, which is an important function of the skin.All snakes are related.They exchange heat with their environments to maintain a stable body temperature.A behavior known as basking is when snakes move into sunny areas to absorb heat from the sun.The flow of blood is regulated by the nerves in the skin.[52]
The skin of rattlesnakes is patterned in a way that hides them from their prey.Rattlesnakes do not usually have bright colors.), instead relying on subtle earth tones that look similar to the environment.[56]
The scales of rattlesnakes are connected by skin folds.The skin can expand when you eat large prey.The skin appears to stretch tightly to accommodate the meal, but in reality, the skin is simply smoothing out from its creased state and is not under very high tension.[57]
Most rattlesnake species mate during the summer or fall, while some species only mate in the spring.[58]
The males follow a trail using their tongues and Jacobson's organs as guides after the females release small amounts of sex pheromones.Once a receptive female has been located, the male often spends several days following her around, frequently touching and rubbing her in an attempt to stimulation her.59 and 60
The males of some species, such as timber rattlesnakes, fight each other in order to win the affection of females.Combat dances are fights in which the anterior portion of the male's body is touched by the other male.The larger males tend to drive the smaller males away.61 and 62.
Rattlesnakes are ovoviviparous, meaning they give birth to young after carrying eggs inside.After the ova are produced in her ovaries, they pass through the body to one of her oviducts.The ova are arranged in a continuous chain.Male rattlesnakes have sexual organs located in the base of their tails.When it isn't happening, the hemipenis is pulled out of the body.The human penis is similar to the hemipenis.Females can store semen for months in internal crevices known as spermathecae, which allows them to mate during the fall, but not fertilize the ova until the following spring.The Arizona black rattlesnake has been observed to exhibit complex social behavior similar to that of mammals.Females often remain with their young for several weeks, and mothers have been observed parenting their broods.[64]
Female Rattlesnakes usually reproduce once every three years.[65]
During the winter months, some rattlesnake species enter a period of brumation, which is similar to hibernation.They gather together for brumation in large numbers, huddling together inside underground "rattlesnake dens" or hibernacula.Rattlesnakes share their winter burrows with a wide variety of other species.66
Every year, rattlesnakes return to the same den, sometimes traveling several miles to get there.It is not known how the rattlesnakes find their way back to the dens each year, but they may use a combination of pheromone trails and visual clues.[68]
The reproductive rates of species with long periods of brumation tend to be lower than those with shorter periods.Female timber rattlesnakes in high peaks in the Appalachian Mountains of New England reproduce every three years on average, while the lance-headed rattlesnake is native to the warm climate of Mexico.69
Rattlesnakes are rarely seen during the hottest and driest months of summer because they aestivate during hot periods.70
Rattlesnakes prefer undisturbed habitats.Rattlesnake populations in many areas are threatened by rapid habitat destruction by humans, mass killings during events such as rattlesnake round-ups, and deliberate eradication campaigns.The timber rattlesnake, massasauga, and canebrake rattlesnake are listed as threatened in the U.S.There are states.71
There has been an increase in reports of rattlesnakes that do not rattle.Humans often kill snakes when they are discovered.The offspring of non-rattling snakes are less likely to rattle.
In North America, Rattlesnakes are the leading cause of snakebite injuries.There are 39 and 73 words.
Rattlesnakes generally avoid humans if they are aware of their approach, and they tend to avoid wide-open spaces where they can't hide.Rattlesnakes don't bite unless they feel threatened or provoked.A majority of victims are males.In cases where the victim saw the snake, around half of bites occur.[32]
Rattlesnake heads can sense, flick the tongue, and cause venomous bites for up to an hour after being severed from the body, so caution is advised even when snakes are believed to be dead.There are 76 and 77 words.
Approximately 7,000 to 8,000 people are bitten by venomous snakes in the United States each year, with five deaths.The time between the bite and the treatment is the most important factor in survival.Between 6 and 48 hours after a bite, most deaths occur.The chance of recovery is greater than 99% if antivenom is given within two hours of the bite.[80]
The amount of venom injected is controlled by the snake.The amount released depends on a number of factors, including the condition of the snake and its temperament.About 20% of bites result in no envenomation.A lack of burning pain and swelling away from the fang marks after one hour suggests either no or minimal envenomation occurred.Most rattlesnake bites have a lack of envenomation after eight hours.81
Common symptoms include swelling, severe pain, weakness, anxiety, nausea and vomiting, hemorrhaging, perspiration, and heart failure.Local pain is often intense following envenomation.Children get a larger amount of venom per unit of body mass.81
Antivenin is used to treat the effects of pit viper envenomations.The venom of a live rattlesnake is the first step in the production of crotaline antivenin.The venom is injected into horses, goats, or sheep to protect them from the effects of the venom.The red blood cells are separated through the use of the antibodies in the blood.The lyophilized powder is packaged for distribution and later use by human patients.There are 84 and 85 words.
Because antivenin is derived from animals, people show an allergic response when they receive it.[86]
In the United States, more than 15,000 domesticated animals are bitten by snakes each year.80% of the deadly incidents are Rattlesnake envenomations.[88]
The front legs and head are bitten the most by dogs.Cattle and horses get bites on their muzzles.If a domesticated animal is bitten, the hair around the bite should be removed so the wound can be seen.In the treatment of canine rattlesnake bites, the crotaline Fab antivenin has been shown to be effective.Sensitivity, shaking, and anxiety are some of the symptoms.[42]
Aztec paintings, Central American temples, and the great burial mounds in the southeastern United States are often adorned with depictions of rattlesnakes, often within the symbols and emblems of the most powerful deities.[89]