Please don't freak out on me! This post is meant to be
educational and debunk any myths you might have
about rattlesnakes....
Recently, we were fortunate to hear from professional
rattlesnake wranglers from Sweetwater, Texas--
the home of the rattlesnake round-up every year.
They brought along their 'snake pit' and the floor was
covered with 25 or so rattlers--these are Western variety. The guys
in the pit were walking amongst the snakes without any strikes on
their boots--of course, they were wearing heavy leather
boots!
A rattler can live up to 25 years or longer in captivity--in the
wild not so long as they are prey to predators--
Rattlers will not warn you by their shaking their rattlers --strike first
and then rattle! Each rattle on the tail is developed after they
have eaten a big prey (mouse, rat, rabbit, etc.) They shed their
skin and add a rattle
There are 8 different species in Texas. This one is diamond back
western. The snakes can climb trees, hide and swim ponds.
There are over 150 snakes that are not venomous.
Snakes are sexed by the number of rings on their tail.
Snakes are born live--not from eggs--and up to 25 or
more babies can be born. The younger the snake
the more venomous they are. And they will strike
more often than an older snake.
The fangs are 3/4 to 1 inch long. The fang will break
off when they get an animal but the fang will grown back within
a few hours.
The venom is 'milked' from the fangs and used for
anti-venom vaccine. If you do not receive treatment
within a few hours of a bite, you could face death!
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