Crotalus

There are 24 different species of rattlesnake, and its average lifespan lasts anywhere from 10 to 20 years. A rattlesnake’s diet usually consists of lizards and small rodents including mice, rats, squirrels or rabbits. It measures around 5 to 6 feet long and approximately 5 pounds and often takes several years to mature. Natural predators of rattlesnakes include crows, coyotes, skunks, raccoons, roadrunners, king snakes and more. Taxonomy The taxonomy of the rattlesnake start with the kingdom Animalia and subkingdom Bilateria. Then it moves to the phylum Chordata, subphylum Vertebrata and the class Reptilia. Rattlesnakes are then placed in the order Squamata, suborder Serpentes, family Viperidae, subfamily Crotalinae and genus Crotalus. Description The rattlesnake’s eye is well adapted to nocturnal use, however their vision is keener during daytime. Rattlesnakes are able to see color, but unable to sharply define images forcing them to rely mostly on their perception of movement to hunt. Even though their eyes don’t move to follow objects, they are capable of horizontal rotation. The rattlesnake’s sense of smell is exceptionally acute. They smell both through their nostrils and the flicking of their tongues which carries particles to an organ called the Jacobson’s organ in the roof of their mouths. Rattlesnakes don’t have any ears, but they are able to sense vibrations in the ground that translate to the auditory nerve. The rattlesnake’s fangs are…

Snakes are lengthy, carnivorous reptiles without legs, protected with scales, have sharp fangs and venom inside it. There are numerous different types of snakes and these include king cobra, python, rattlesnake, and anaconda. Snakebites can be extremely lethal particularly because of their deadly venom. Every year, you will find around 7, 000 poisonous snake bites scenarios that are being documented in America. Apart from being deadly, snake bites may also result in allergic response and…

Sexual dimorphism in body size between males and females helps contribute to both natural and sexual selection for reproductive advantage. However, it is not known why these differences exist in most species and how it may be controlled. Several case studies were performed on Sceloporus lizards, including those of male-larger species and female-larger species, as well as the Western diamond-backed rattlesnake, Crotalus atrox, which is a male-larger species. The main question revolves around…

Did you know the Western Diamondback Rattlesnake can live up to 15-20 years ? The Western Diamondback Rattlesnake is found in Arizona, California, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, and Northern Mexico. This Rattlesnake is 3 to 5 feet but some can grow up to 7 feet long. The Western Diamondback Rattlesnake likes its climate to be hot. This particular animal is usually underground. It is almost in snake holes all day. It likes to be near grassy plants, deserts, forest, rocky hill sides, and areas…

Through the genetic diversity, the Mojave rattlesnake is the only snake to have developed this specific type of neurotoxin. However, there is an interesting variation of the venom within the genus. The South American rattlesnake (Crotalus durissus terrificus) is closely related to the Mojave rattlesnake. It differs slightly, because the South American rattlesnake possesses a crotoxin, whose genetic composition is only slightly different than that of the Mojave rattlesnake (Aird, Kaiser, Lewis, &…

Rattlesnakes are native species to the America’s southwest with lifespans ranging from 20-30 years. Rattlesnakes have 32 different species, and 83 different subspecies split into genera Crotalus and Sistrurus. Habitats that these snakes live in are very versatile, and their diets includes small mammals and reptiles. They have a unique defense mechanism with a rattle on the end of their tails: when threatened these snakes will vibrate their tails causing the buttons to make a rattling sound.…

Desert”, and “Life in the Cold” (see Figure 1). Pictures were taken of the animals observed. All images of the animals are personal images. Figure 1: Tulsa Zoo Map. Results: We saw many different animals in each of the biomes. For each biome, two animals were selected for further research. In The Rainforest I saw smooth-fronted dwarf caiman (Paleosuchus trigonatus) and water wolves (Hydrolycus armatus). In Life in the Water I saw a scarlet ibis (Eudocimus ruber) and an albino American…

Background The Nelson's Antelope Squirrel (Ammosperophilus nelsoni), or NAS, is found in the San Joaquin Valley of North America between the southern part of the Sierra Nevada and the Tehachapi Mountains (Hawbecker 1953). NAS has been found to prefer habitat containing Desert Saltbush (Atriplex polycarpa) for it's burrows (Hawbecker 1953). Red-Stemmed Filaree (Erodium cicutarium) and Red Brome (Bromus rubens) are staples of NAS' diet along with insects such as the June Beetle (Phyllophaga…