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The
color of the Prairie Rattlesnake varies from light brown to green,
with a yellowish belly. Dark oval blotches with light colored borders
run along the center of its back. The blotches become crossbands
on the back part of the body and rings around the tail.
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Adults will range in length from 30-40 inches, with a record of
57 inches. 3 foot rattlesnakes normally weigh 1 pound (a 54 incher
weighed 3 1/2 pounds). |
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| C. viridis viridis
ranges from the Great Plains region of North America from
southeastern Alberta and southwestern Saskatchewan to northeastern
Sonora, northern Chihuahua, and west-central Texas and from
the Rocky Mountains eastward through the central portions
of North and South Dakota and north-central Nebraska to extreme
western Iowa, western Oklahoma, and central Kansas. It has
spread to the west through gaps in the Rocky Mountains to
eastern Idaho, southern Utah and northern Arizona. This is
one of the largest home ranges of rattlesnakes in North America. |
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| Prairie
Rattlesnake Distribution |
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Like all reptiles,
the Prairie Rattlesnake is cold blooded. Its body temperature is
affected more by the temperature of the ground upon which it rests
than air temperature. Most snakes cannot survive exposure to direct
sunlight with temperatures over 100 degrees F, but rattlesnakes
have a greater endurance to lower or freezing temperatures. |
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The harsh winter conditions in the northern states cause snakes to move
toward the dens, normally found on hillsides, bluffs, and rocky
outcrops with underground openings. Prairie Rattlesnakes have also
been known to use caves as denning sites. Snakes return to the same
den year after year, provided the den is not disturbed or destroyed. |
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Prairie Rattlesnale Habitat |
Prairie
Rattlesnakes live in the open prairies, haylands, and croplands
-- any area with an abundance of food. Their diet consists
of animals such as mice, ground squirrels, and the young of
prairie dogs or cottontail rabbits. They also eat other snakes,
lizards, birds, and insects. The average snake will consume
2-3 times its own weight in various food items during the
spring to fall months when the snake is away from its winter
den. |
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| Prairie Rattlesnakes (along
with all other species of rattlesnakes, copperheads and cottonmouths)
are members of the Pit Viper family. These snakes have a triangular-shaped
head with a small cavity or pit on each side, between the
eye and the nostril. They can sense warm-blooded prey in complete
darkness up to 2 feet away. These "pits" can detect
temperature differences within several thousandths of a degree. |
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Rattlesnake eyes are have no eyelids, but
are protected by a hard transparent covering or scale. The pupil
of a rattlesnake's eye is elliptical, not round as with the nonvenomous
snakes. A snake's vision can detect movement out to about 40 feet,
closer objects are seen more sharply. .
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The forked tongue
of a snake, is its primary sensory organ for smelling. The snake
extends its tongue to pick up microscopic airborne particles and
gases from the air on the surface of the tongue. The tongue then
transfers these odor stimuli into the Jacobson's organ, which are
located on the roof of the snake's mouth. The brain identifies the
stimuli as food, enemy, or mate. |
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Rattlesnakes have a pair
of hollow fangs for delivering venom. The fangs retract by
folding against the roof of the mouth when not in use and
point forward when the snake strikes its prey. The venom glands
are located below and behind each eye. |
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| The most recognizable feature
of this snake are the rattles, located on the end of the tail
and their distinctive rattling sound. A common misconception
about the rattlesnake is that its age can be determined by
the number of rattles on the snake's tail - one for each year.
This is not true. The rattlesnake gains one rattle each time
it sheds it skin. This is dependent on the amount of available
food. The more food; the more often it sheds. Most rattlesnakes
will not rattle unless they are frightened or in danger. |
Listen
to a Rattlesnake |
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Rattlesnakes are
ovoviviparous, giving birth to livt young - not from eggs. The fertile
eggs develop inside the female's body within a thin membranous wrap
in the oviduct area. In August or September the female will give
birth to an average of 8-12 young. The baby rattlers are 10 inches
in length at birth. Female rattlesnakes exhibit very little maternal
care or protection for their young. The young are on their own to
find food and protective cover. |
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Rattlesnakes don't
always rattle prior to striking a victim, but only when threatened
or endangered. Most rattlesnakes will stand their ground when cornered
or provoked. Rather than act aggressively toward a human, rattlesnakes
prefer to quietly slip away. |
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