Western Rattlesnake

YouTube Video

 
 
 INTRODUCTION
Hello and welcome to the Western Rattlesnake page! The western rattlesnake is a reptile and a part of the 'pit viper' family. They are named this because of the pit in the middle of their faces, which is used to detect infrared signals or heat sources. This snake does not look for a fight but when provoked, it will attack. You can find this snake in norther parts of Arizona. It likes to live in canyons and plateaus because they serve as a great place to hide from my prey. The western rattlesnake eats small rodents, lizards, and birds. It attacks its prey with its fangs and inject venom into their bodies to immobilize them. This snake, like all snakes, can detatch its jaw in order to eat its food.It has a triangle shaped head with a skinny neck and eyes that are vertical slits in my face. The coloration of the skin is on the spectrum of yellowish to off-white to brownish. The rattle on the end of the tail grows every time it sheds its skin. Now that you know a little about this snake, read on and enjoy!
 
WHO AM I?
I am a reptile, commonly known as a “pit viper”. I get this name from the pit in the middle of my face, used to detect infrared signals from the prey or predators around me. There are several other snakes that are in my 'pit viper' family. Many rattlesnakes look similar to me in my family. I am shy and don’t go looking to fight, but if you provoke me, beware!

WHERE DO I LIVE?
I live in northern parts of Arizona, in the mountainous desert. I enjoy living in rocky areas like canyons and plateaus. These areas are ideal for me to hide from my prey. I really like slithering over rocks and through desert plains.

WHAT DO I EAT?
I enjoy eating small rodents like rats, squirrels, lizards, and small birds. I bite my prey with my venomous fangs and once they have been immobilized I begin to detach my jaw so I may be able to fit the animal in my mouth. Once I have swallowed my prey, it begins to slowly digest while going through my abdomen. You can clearly see if I have eaten anything that day because there will be a large lump in my abdomen for several hours until the animal I had for a meal is completely digested.

HOW DO I LOOK?
I have a triangle shaped head with a skinny neck. My eyes are vertical and look like slits in my face. My coloration is on the spectrum of yellowish to off-white to brownish. My rattle at the end of my tail grows every time I shed my skin. The rattle is not a real rattle, like one you would give a baby.

 
 
HOW DO I REPRODUCE?
Females in my species become of age for mating when 3 years old. During mating season, males will fight in a sort of “wrestling match” with each other in order to win the affection of the female. My species are born in late summer with a live birth. The babies are born with fangs, venom, and fully capable of surviving on their own, so the mothers abandon them.

FUN FACT ABOUT ME?
I have fangs on “reserve” which means if I break or loose a fang, I have extras in my mouth for back up. The stripes on my face look somewhat similar to Zorro’s mask also.

 
 
 
 
Activity!
Materials Needed:
Pencils
Crayon
Paper
Glue
Writers Notebook
 
Kindergarten - 1st Grade: Draw or cut out a picture of the western rattlesnake and glue it to a page in your writers notebook. Underneath the photo write one sentence about what you learned today!
2nd Grade: Draw or cut out a picture of the western rattlesnake and glue it to a page in your writers notebook. Underneath the photo write 2-3 sentences about what you learned today!
3rd Grade: Draw or cut out a picture of the western rattlesnake and glue it to a page in your writers notebook. Underneath the photo or on the next page, write a paragraph of at least 5 sentences explaining what you have learned about the rock rattlesnake!

 

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