Rattlesnake !!

Rattlesnakes come in 16 distinct varieties. There are numerous subspecies and color variations, but they are all positively identified by the jointed rattles on the tail and a triangular head.


Rattlesnakes, copperheads and cottonmouths are all pit vipers. Pit Vipers are snakes with two pits under their nostrils to detect heat, thus enabling the rattlesnake to hunt warm-blooded prey. The pits are so sensitive that the snake can determine the size of the warm-blooded animal and can even detect prey in complete darkness.

There are many species of rattlesnake and each can be identified by the variation of the pattern and color of their skin.  Colors can range from shades of brown, gray and black, tones of yellow,  cream,  rust, olive, and light pink.  A rattlesnake’s skin may contain a pattern that is banded, diamond shaped, or blotched. Some species of rattlesnake have no identifying pattern at all.

Rattlesnakes have a forked tongue that they flick up and down. The tongue picks microscopic airborne particles and gases from the air. When the tongue slips back into it's mouth it touches a sensitive spot on the roof of their mouth called the Jacobson's organ. This organ picks up the particles collected by the tongue and sends messages to the snakes brain identifying the scent as food, enemy, mate or other object or substance. Rattlesnakes also have external nostrils lined with olfactory cells which can pick up scent. The nostrils are mainly used for breathing.

The fork of the tongue is a directional aide. It can provide information based on which side or fork in the tongue has the strongest presence of a particular odor. This information helps the rattlesnake follow its prey or find it's way home.

Rattlesnakes pick up vibrations through their body muscles which send sound through to their jaw bones and on to their inside ear parts. Rattlesnakes do not have outer ears and therefore rely on vibrations to pick up sound.

A snakes vision can detect objects or movement from about 40 feet away, but their vision is sharper when objects are closer. A rattlesnake's pupils are elliptical, not round which enables the snake to see well in dim light. This is helpful for night hunting. In ideal habitats where there is a constant, abundant supply of small rodents, the rattlesnake sometimes attains a length of 5 feet, but the average adult size is between 3 and 4 feet.