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Animal facts |
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| Fast Facts: Prairie rattlesnake
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| Species name: |
Crotalus viridis viridis |
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| Average length: |
89 cm to 114 cm |
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| Life expectancy: |
16-20 years |
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Did you know?
The prairie rattlesnake is the only venomous snake in the Canadian prairies.
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Physiology
The prairie rattlesnake is the only venomous snake in the Canadian prairies. It is best
known for the unique rings on the end of its tail that knock together and make a rattling
sound. The flat, diamond-shaped head hides a pair of the longest fangs of any snake species.
The body ranges from greenish gray to greenish brown in colour, with dark blotches on the
back and a greyish white underbelly.
A rattle is added to the string each time the rattlesnake sheds its skin, which happens
three to five times in its first summer and one to three times after that. Males tend to
have more rings than females.
Habitats/Behaviours
Because it is cold blooded, the prairie rattlesnake's body temperature is affected by its
surroundings. During the winter it hibernates in caves and in the burrows of other animals.
In the cool spring and fall weather the rattlesnake hunts in the daytime, while the hotter
summer days force it to hunt at night.
The prairie rattlesnake is not aggressive and will usually flee if given the chance. But
as a predator it has unique assets. It uses its tongue as part of its smell- and heat-sensing
membranes, allowing it to detect something from as far as 30 metres away.
The prairie rattlesnake hunts by striking rapidly at its prey and immobilizing them with
the poisonous venom in its fangs. Its normal striking distance is half of the snake's body
length (40 to 50 centimetres, on average). The snake selects its prey by size according
to what it can easily swallow. The rattlesnake preys upon small mammals, amphibians, reptiles
and ground nesting birds.
Range
The prairie rattlesnake can be found in southwestern Saskatchewan, southeastern
Alberta and south-central British
Columbia. Its range extends through the United
States in western Iowa, Nebraska and Kansas, and the northern region of Baja
California and northern Mexico.
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