How does a rattlesnake find its food?

Rattlesnakes lie in wait for a small mammal to venture nearby, then strike the unsuspecting animal with its venomous fangs. This hunting technique is called ambush predation. The rattlesnake knows when to lie low because it has specialized Jacobson’s organs, which gives it a heightened sense of smell to detect prey.

How do rattlesnakes locate their prey?

Rattlesnakes have forked tongues that they use to collect information about the environment. The tongue gathers particles from the environment and then places them on Jacobson’s organ, located on the roof of the mouth. This allows the snake to identify prey, predators, mates and other objects.

What kind of animals do rattlesnakes feed on?

It is safe to say that rattlesnakes feed primarily on vertebrate animals but may also feed on some invertebrates. The smaller species, crotalus, feeds mostly on lizards but the largest species can hunt mammals such as rabbits and squirrels. Rattlesnakes are an Endangered Animal

What kind of habitat does a rattlesnake live in?

More often than not, however, rattlesnakes reside in rocky environments, as rocks help them to find cover and food. Since they are reptiles and ectothermic, these areas also help them with temperature control; depending on the temperature, they bask in the sun on top of the rocks or cool down in the shade under the rocks.

Why do Rattlesnakes travel so far from their den?

A rattlesnake uses its den for protection, especially during its winter brumation. Rattlesnakes will travel a mile from their den in order to find food, a basking spot, or a mate. Male rattlesnakes will travel farther than females to find a mate during their mating season.

How often do rattlesnakes eat when they are young?

Rattlesnakes need to eat once a week when they are young, and once every two weeks when they are older. They hunt small rodents and lizards, depending on the species and size of the individual rattlesnake. Rattlesnakes typically hunt alone.

What do animals eat rattlesnakes?

Rattlesnakes are prey for a large number of predators. Aerial predators like ravens, crows, owls, roadrunners, eagles, and hawks will all swoop down to the ground to catch rattlesnakes. Ground mammals like coyotes, foxes, skunks, weasels, possums, raccoons, and even cats , also eat them.

How often do rattlesnakes eat?

An adult rattler goes about two weeks between meals, on average, depending on how large its last meal was. Younger rattlesnakes eat more often, about once a week. At dusk, a hungry rattlesnake may begin to move and look for a good spot to ambush a mouse, rat, ground squirrel, or rabbit, its main food items.

Do people eat rattlesnakes?

However, rattlesnakes fall prey to hawks, weasels, king snakes, and a variety of other species. Rattlesnakes are heavily preyed upon as neonates, while they are still weak and immature. Large numbers of rattlesnakes are killed by humans.

What are natural predators of rattlesnakes?

Rattlesnakes only have a few natural predators. The King Snake is immune to many snakes’ poisons, the rattlesnake included. Other predators are the roadrunner, wild pigs, hawks, and eagles. Humans, while we are also predators of the rattlesnake, are not natural predators.