Things You Probably Didn't Know About Rattlesnakes and Other Snakes Too

We're right at sunset, and what do I see? First rattlesnake of the season, right there. Yeah, I was walking right toward him, too. He's very well camouflaged, sitting there amongst the wildflowers. So, yeah, that was a surprise, but not really. I was keeping an eye out, luckily. The western diamondback rattlesnake is the largest rattlesnake in Arizona and the western U.S. It averages three to five feet long, but has attained lengths, in some cases, to about seven feet long. They're common in Arizona and are pit vipers, which means they can detect warm-blooded animals such as their prey, like mice and kangaroo rats, with sensors in their head that work like infrared scanners detecting body heat. It's a myth that one can tell the age of a snake by the number of rattles. This is because snakes shed at different rates, up to four times a year, depending on food availability. A rattle is added every time a snake sheds its skin. The rattle is made of keratin, the same material as our hair and fingernails. It can shake its rattle at 60 times or more per second. Rattlesnakes have several predators, namely hawks and eagles, kingsnakes, foxes, bobcats, and coyotes. They've lived over 15 years in captivity. They don't lay eggs, but instead give birth to live young. Rattlesnakes can be attentive mothers, protecting and defending their babies, and there have been times when several mothers have shared a den. The best thing to do if you see a rattlesnake is simply back off or give it a white birth. They're shy and reclusive animals that just want to be left alone and don't want to hurt anyone, and it's best not to harm them. They're an important component of desert ecology. The long-nosed snake is found throughout the southwest, preferring habitat that's brushy and rocky. A constrictor, it eats numerous things, including lizards. Whiptail lizards are a favorite, lizard eggs, grasshoppers, small snakes, small mammals, and an occasional bird. It has numerous variations of coloring, and this can make it difficult to identify at first glance. When disturbed or threatened, it writhes and its body, vibrates its tail, and expels feces and blood. Though I was able to film this one in daylight, they are active mostly at night. This snake is about two and a half feet long. This is the ring-necked snake. As you can see, the coloration on its back is a drab gray, but the underside is a striking orange and red. This one was photographed at the base of the Bradshaw Mountains in Arizona. It's usually encountered in the morning or near dusk. If threatened, it will take a defensive stance of writhing, musking, or exposing its brightly colored underside of a tightly coiled tail. Its diet consists of other lizards and other snakes, as well as lizard and snake eggs. Its enlarged rear teeth immobilize other reptiles, but doesn't seem to affect mammals. I hope you enjoyed seeing these snakes, and maybe even learning a thing or two about them. Always have respect for all the Earth's creatures, and don't forget to give me a like on the video, share, and subscribe. Until next time, this is a Rockhopper, I'll see ya.