RATTLESNAKE
RATTLESNAKE Rattlesnakes are a group of venomous snakes of the genera Crotalus and Sistrurus of the subfamily Crotalinae . There are 36 known species of Rattlesnakes with 65 to 70 subspecies. Rattlesnakes received their name from the ‘rattle’ located at the end of their tails, which makes a loud rattling noise when vibrated that deters predators or serves as a warning to passer-by. 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. Rattlesnake populations in many areas are severely threatened by habitat destruction, poaching and extermination campaigns. Rattlesnakes are predators that live in a wide array of habitats, hunting small animals such as birds and rodents.