What does a rattlesnake snake look like?

Rattlesnakes are long, limbless reptiles that can grow up to eight feet in length. The venomous pests have thick, scaly bodies and triangular heads. Coloration and markings vary by species, but rattlesnakes with gray, black, brown, olive, or yellow scales and banded, diamond, or spotted patterns are most common.

What eats rattle?

Rattlesnakes have predators, too. Coyotes, bobcats, mountain lions, roadrunners, hawks, owls, and king snakes eat small rattlesnakes.

Are rattlesnakes aggressive?

Generally not aggressive, rattlesnakes strike when threatened or deliberately provoked, but given room they will retreat. Most snake bites occur when a rattlesnake is handled or accidentally touched by someone walking or climbing. The majority of snakebites occur on the hands, feet and ankles.

Do rattlesnakes swim?

It may seem strange, but rattlesnakes can, and do, swim. In fact, they’re good swimmers. Unlike anacondas, they don’t spend their lives in the water, but they’re more than capable of crossing a stream, or even a lake, to get to where they’re going.

How can you tell if its a rattlesnake?

An adult rattlesnake will usually have a nice-sized rattle, so that’s easy, but a young rattlesnake may only have a single button. Look instead for rings at the base of a stubby tail (rattlesnake), or a long tapered tail which ends in a point (gopher snake).

How do you tell the difference between a rattlesnake and a bull snake?

When it comes to their color, a bull snake is more of a pale yellow/cream color while a rattlesnake is much darker. They do usually have the same patterns, so that’s where people may get confused. The pupils of a bull snake are circular while a rattlesnake has more vertical eyes.

What bird kills rattlesnakes?

No bird is so odd and well known as the roadrunner. Unlike most birds with which we are familiar, a roadrunner runs rather than flies, readily embraces humans and, as a predator, feeds on some of the most unappetizing animals imaginable including scorpions, black widows and rattlesnakes.

Should you run from a rattlesnake?

As a rough rule of thumb, a rattlesnake can lunge about two thirds of its body length. It’s a good idea to stay as far as possible from any rattlesnake, aim for at least 10 steps away, to ensure safety no matter which direction the snake moves.

Can rattlesnakes climb trees?

Snake experts say rattlesnakes can climb trees, as Gonzales documented, but that they rarely do it. Ecologist P.J. Perea, of the University of Georgia’s Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, told the Hilton Head Island Packet that it’s odd for a rattler to make its way up into a tree as high as the one Gonzales ran into.