Rattlesnake: Venomous Viper

00:00:04
Speaker 1: Hi, I'm Ebany Mona and I'm Rick Schwartz. Welcome to Amazing Wildlife, where we explore unique stories of wildlife from around the world and uncover fascinating animal facts. This podcast is a production of My Heart Radio and San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, in international nonprofit conservation organization behind the San Diego Zoo and Safari Park. This next animal lives in grasslands, forests, swamps, and deserts and is a capable swimmer. This viper is a well known predator that often gets a bad rap. Today we're talking about the rattlesnake. Rick. With thirty six different species of rattlesnakes and more than double as many subspecies, how does one identify a rattlesnake. Well, I'm happy to answer that, Ebony, but first I want to acknowledge that for many people, snakes are a scary object. And if you're someone who doesn't like snakes or they just flat out give you the hebe gebs. I hope you keep listening because my goal here today is to give everyone a chance to learn how truly fascinating these reptiles are, and maybe, just maybe, by the end of this episode, you might have a newfounder respect for these sensational surpentines. Now back to answering your question, Ebony, how does one identify rattlesnake? I think it's fair to say most people would think it's obvious to identify it by well, it's rattle. But as we have discussed in other episodes, sometimes in nature there is an exception to the rule. And what I mean by that is rattlesnakes don't always rattle, or if you can see them, it's possible you may not be able to see the tail and therefore not see the rattle. So what else sets rattlers apart from other native species of snakes. Well, rattlesnakes tend to be wider in the body and have a more pronounced triangular shape to their head. But honestly, my advice to everyone is, if you are not snake expert, it's best to give every snake their space by keeping a safe distance. That sounds like great advice, and advice I would have no trouble following. So it can be so impressive when people are really familiar with wildlife, and so familiar that they can actually spot subtle differences to identify different types of wildlife or different species Besides the rattle? Are there other ways to know you're probably looking at a rattlesnake. When it comes to rattlesnakes, there are a few things that I look for beyond the tail. But again I cannot stress enough ebony. If you come across the snake, just give it some safe space. Don't try to get close enough to look for these details. No problem, Okay, already said that straight now, Depending upon where you're seeing the snake, most rattlers have blotched coloration with dark diamonds, hexagons, or rhumbuses on a lighter background, usually a gray or light round, but some can have various shades of orange, pink, red, or green. Another thing that rattlesnakes have that non venomous snakes that might look similar to them don't have are the heat sensing pits below their eyes. These look like a larger pair of nostrils. They also have vertical slits for their pupils that look similar to cat's eyes pupils. But please, again I have to say, don't get close enough to verify this. So here's a bit of a riddle. Rattlesnakes are known for their rattles but not all rattlesnakes have rattles. Why are some rattlesnakes rattle less? Yes, E Beneth the exception to the rule that I was hinting out earlier. Rattlesnakes are not born with their rattle in place. The rattle will start to develop and grow as a snake grows in sheds. It is also possible for a rattle to be broken or even broken all the way off, so it is best not to assume a snake with no rattle is not a rattlesnake. And since we're talking about ways to identify a rattlesnake, I want to mention that if any of our listeners are curious to learn more about the best ways to identify a species of rattlesnake in their area, open up your favorite search engine type and how to identify a rattlesnake and in place your state's name in the search. Also, that way, your local county or state's page to identify the species will come up and give you specific information for your area. That's great advice. I would have never thought of that. So Rick. The word rattlesnake alone can just freak a lot of people out and and fill them with anxiety, possibly because they don't have experience dealing with snakes. So Rick now might be a great time to dispel misconceptions. Good idea, Ebony and I completely agree and respect the fact that a lot of people are uncomfortable when it comes to snakes, and so I think first and foremost, I want people to understand that although we have this fear of them, rattlesnakes are not purposely trying to get you. More often than not, they are just as surprised and scared of you as you are of them. When we encounter rattlesnakes, it's usually because we have ound our way into their native habitat, or we live close enough to their native habitat that are parks or yards that seem like suitable places for them to look for food sources. And keep in mind, they do not eat large animals. Rattlesnakes rely on their venom to catch their prey, usually smaller animals like lizards, birds, rodents, and other small mammals. Therefore, they would rather not waste their venom defending themselves. That's why they have their rattle. They rattle to warn larger animals to stay away. They're trying not to be hunted or stepped on, and that loud rattle is their way of trying to scare away something that might be dangerous to them. They will strike if they perceive there's no other way to defend themselves, but honestly, given a chance, most rattlers would rather leave you alone and be left alone. It's good to know. So. Reptiles, including snakes, are commonly referred to as cold blooded. I hear that often. What does that mean exactly? Does that mean that they're actually physically cold to the touch or deliberately cruel? But I think you answer that's funny of you. I've never thought of it as possibly meaning that they are deliberately cruel, but I can see how that might be one of the ways to interpret that, especially the way some people feel about snakes. And I can say, without hesitation, the answer is no to both versions of your question. They are not usually cold to the touch nor deliberately cruel. So let's get into this little bit because it is kind of interesting. The term cold blooded can be a little misleading. You see, mammals like us are considered warm blood, meaning our body will regulate our temperature. If we are too hot, our body will automatically start to perspire without us having to think about it, in an effort to regulate our temperature by keeping us cool. And if we get too cold, our body will start to shiver in an effort to warm us up with a rapid muscle movement. Again, we don't choose to do this, our body doesn't naturally. These are just two ways to show how our body self regulates temperature, but in general we maintain our own body temperature through our metabolism. Therefore, being a warm blooded animal is more accurately called being an do thermic animal endo meaning within and therm meaning heat or temperature. When we look at snakes and other reptiles, the term cold blooded is used because their bodies do not regulate their temperature. If they get too hot, they need to find a way to cool off in their environment, so they'll choose something like a burrow or the shade under a bush or a tree. If they get too cold, they need to find a source of warmth, like basking in the sun. Therefore, a more accurate term for cold blooded is ecto therm ecto meaning outer and external and therm again meaning heat or temperature. Rick, I think I might know the answer to this at this point, but I'm still going to ask, just to drive the point home. Are rattlesnakes temperamental in any way? As in will they strike anyone or anything that may get too close or process path? I think it's still a fair question, and we've kind of answered it, but let's get into this a little more. I mean, just imagine, but you're out and about in a lush tree line park, minding your own business, enjoy the warmth of the sun, when all of a sudden, a massive giant with feet as big as trucks comes out of nowhere and heads right for you. The odds are you would be scared for your life. You would most likely try to run away if possible, or yell and scream to let the giant know that you were there and do not want to get stepped on, Or if you had no other option, you might do whatever you could to defend yourself. Rattlesnakes are the same way. Their primary defense mechanism is to try to get away and hide. If that doesn't work or isn't an option, they will rattle and hiss in hopes to warn or scare away whatever it is that might or could hurt them. If the threat doesn't back away or avoid them, or if they are being stepped on, well, they can definitely bite, and because they have venom for hunting their prey, a defensive bite can also deliver venom. Rick some people have the idea, there's an idea of floating around that baby rattlesnakes are even more dangerous than adults. Is there any truth to this? Yeah, it's a common myth and honestly there's more myth to it than fact. And hear me because I know some people will argue this point, but here's what science tells us. Somewhere in the history of humans moving into rattlesnake habitats, this myth of baby snakes releasing more venom than adults because they have no quote unquote control over how much venom they release was started as we became more involved with rattlesnake territory. But the true research shows that bites from baby rattlesnakes are typically less dangerous because they have less venom to inject, their smaller their glands or smaller, so the bite delivers less venom. And to be clear, It doesn't mean that they aren't dangerous, because they are dangerous, just a little bit less dangerous. Now, with that said, younger rattlesnakes can be more hazardous because they're small and harder to see. Additionally, they are born without a rattle. It can take several weeks before the first bits of a rattle start to develop, so their ability to warn others that they are there is also not very effective at first. Gotcha. Now there's another myth, and this one I have personally heard, and that is that people are born hardwired to fear not just rattlesnakes, but all snakes. Is this true or false? It kind of skews towards true. This is the innate fear of the note rope, as the Internet calls them. I can stay with my own experience. Some people definitely seem to be more afraid than others. Some seem more curious than afraid, where others will jump and run from a stick that just looks like it might be a snake. Interestingly enough, there was a group of researchers in Germany and Sweden who decided to find out if people were born with a fear of certain wildlife by testing a segment of the population least likely to have learned this fear, babies. When the babies saw pictures of the snakes, and they also tested spiders, they consistently reacted with larger pupils than when they were shown control images such as flowers and fish. This finding, published in the Journal of Frontiers and Psychology, suggested that a fear of these creatures could indeed be innate, or a fear basically that humans are born with. And that's because the dilated pupils are associated with an activity in the nora genergic system of the brain, the same system that processes stress. Now back to rattlesnakes being ectothermic. They come out during hot weather because people seem to think that they love the heat. Is this true, Well, yes and no, and you're right. It just goes back to our discussion earlier aboutping ectothermic, which of course means their temperatures are regulated by outside temperatures. So at night, the temperatures tend to cool down in the desert areas or just about any region rattle snakes can be found, and so does the snake's body temperature. Then, therefore, when the morning sun starts to warm up the ground and surrounding environment. Well, guess what Snakes will emerge from their sleeping area to warm up, and this is when they start doing their basking in the sun. But they can't handle really hot temperatures very well, so usually once they have warmed up, they spend their day looking for food and seeking out opportunities to keep their body in sort of an environmental temperatures between seventy and ninety degrees fahrenheit. Okay, So here is another common perception that we have a chance to possibly dispel. Is it true that rattlesnakes always rattle before they strike? Unfortunately, Ebony, they do not. And when we look at the evolution of rattlesnakes and what they evolved in parallel with it, it makes sense why they do not always rattle before striking. You see all snakes here approaching animals by detecting vibrations through the ground and substrate that they are sitting on. So rattlesnake rattles when it hears or picks up on these vibrations of an approaching animal. Well, prior to massive human populations coming into rattlesnake territory, rattlesnakes lived alongside bison, elk, moose, and other large wildlife. They evolved to be amongst these large animals. Well, rattlesnakes can easily detect an approaching bison, which can easily weigh a thousand to two thousand pounds, and being able to detect that bison's footsteps the rattle or can give an early warning to rattle saying watch out, don't step on me. Unfortunately, rattlesnakes are less likely to feel the approaching footsteps of a pound human and even less likely to detect approaching footsteps of a child. Thus, humans have greater chances of sneaking up and surprising a rattlesnake in this kind of situation. If the rattlesnake is surprised and feels threatened, it may strike in self defense right away instead of giving a warning rattle. Rick. Here's another idea that has been floating around, and this one I haven't heard, and that is that rattlesnakes some people believe are not reptiles because they don't lay eggs. Is that true? And if they're not reptiles, then what would they be? Well that's an interesting one, ebony, because the idea that all reptiles must come from eggs that haven't been laid in the nest or burrow is a little inaccurate. In the case of our friend the rattlesnake, the female actually carries true eggs inside her belly. She incubates them inside her body for around ninety days before giving birth to live young, So essentially, the eggs will hatch inside of her and then the young come out. This is no one as being obviviparious. When a baby rattlesnake is born, it comes out fully developed and ready to start life on its own without any maternal care. I would imagine that there's some survival benefits to that, considering we've learned in earlier episodes that reptile eggs can sometimes be vulnerable to threats, it does make sense. Yeah, and that's kind of when we talk about how certain species have evolved to deal with certain predators. You're right, Is it possible that the rattlesnakes have evolved to keep their eggs in them to prevent smaller mammals like rodents and rats that do live in those same areas from raiding those nests and getting those eggs. Something we can follow up, I think so. So it's been fun to clear up some of the myths and even debunk some falsehoods. Now, let's go in a different direction and find out how rattlesnakes help the ecosystem. Oh, absolutely, they are very important. It as predators of rodents and other small mammals that can potentially spread disease or become a problem if they overpopulate. Rattlesnakes help keep the ecosystem in balance. For example, a recent study by a team of University of Maryland biologists made it clear that the timber brattlesnake indirectly benefits humankind by keeping lime disease in check. This, of course, is because snakes eat the small mammals that ticks live on, and those ticks carry and spread lime disease. Just ahead, we'll find out what a young listener wants to know about rattlesnakes. Ripple answer her questions coming up right after this. Now, it's time for the San Diego Zoom Minute, an opportunity for you to learn what's new at the zoo exciting baby news. This year, the San Diego Zoo welcomed the birth of a ringtailed lemur infant at the Africa Rocks Madagascar forest habitat. The female infant was born the first time lemur mother Rendra. Both mother and baby have been doing really well as a youngster grows. There are more than one species of lemurs, all native to the island of Madagascar, and all considered threatened or endangered. The ringtailed lemur is easily recognized with its big eyes, wooly gray fur, and long black and white ring tail. Did you know the rattlesnake's triangular head contains a hollow spot between the eyes and nostrils called a pit. The pit is actually a sensory organ that helps the rattlesnake hunt and darkness by detecting body heat. Today, we've learned a lot about the rattle snake, and now we have questions from a young listener. Violet wants to know. I heard people say that brettest snakes are poison nous, and I heard people say that weird snakes are venomous, And isn't that the same thing? Ah, yes, Violet, we do hear those terms being used interchangeably, don't we. But there is a difference. When we're talking about animals that are venomous. We are talking about an animal that when it bites you or stings you, it injects or places venom into you, like a rattlesnake. When we're talking about animals that are poisonous, we're talking about an animal that if you touch them or eat them, you can get sick or have a very bad toxic reaction, like a poison dart frog. One way I like to remember the difference is by thinking about the old fairy tale of snow White. The wicked witch gives her a poisonous apple, not a venomous apple. Snow White bites the apple and got sick from eating it. The apple didn't bite her. How come snakes don't blink? Oh, Violet, This is a really great question because there are some really fun myths surrounding this. Many people used to believe that you should never look a snake in the eye because it will hypnotize you or put you in a trance so it can then strike you without you being able to react. The truth of the matter is snakes do not have eyelids, so they can't blink. They have no choice but to constantly stare at you. So then, now that we know that that usually leads to people wanting to know what do they do if they don't have isolids? Aren't their eyes going to dry out? Well, snakes do have a clear scale that covers their eyes, sometimes called an eye cap. This clear scale protects the eye is much like the eyelids do. And get this. When the snake sheds its skin, it also sheds the eye cap, and there's a new eye cap already developed under where the old one was, so the eye is always protected. Is it true that you can tell how old a wattle snake is by how many segments are on its rat work? Well, Violet, That is kind of true, but not always an accurate way to tell the age of a rattlesnake. And that's because rattlesnakes get a new segment to their rattle every time they shed their skin, and on average that happens about three or four times a year, depending upon the availability of food sources and the growth rate of the snake. Baby rattlesnakes are born with only one segment on their rattle, called a button. The rattle is noiseless until the baby rattler sheds its skin for the first time and adds another segment to the button. The rattle makes noise when the two segments start to click against each other. So if food is abundant for the snake and therefore causing growth which causes the need to shed more often, it might shed its skin as much as four times in one year. Therefore, the rattlesnake would add a new segment to its rattle four times a year. But if food sources are low, well, it might only shed once or twice in that year, adding only one or two segments. The other thing to consider as well, rattlesnakes can break their rattles, making the rattle shorter or completely gone from the tail. Oh and by the way, by if you are close enough to a rattlesnake in the wild to count the individual segments on its rattle, you are too close. Why does snakes flick their tongue in and out? Is that mean they're about to strike? Oh? I love this question, Violet. In fact, when I do live presentations, I always ask the audience to stick their tongue out and in and out again to see if they can smell anything. And of course the answer should be no, because our tongue is used to taste food and beverages as we eat and drink, but if we take a long, slow breath in through our nose, we can smell the food before we eat it. That's because deep inside our nose are the receptor cells that pick up on the tiny particles that float around in the air. These receptor cells then tell our brain what it is we're smelling. If it's a yummy meal, we act accordingly and we get ready to eat. If it's something that isn't food, we may like or just like to smell, but we don't think about eating whatever it is we're smelling. So what does all this have to do with the snake flicking its tongue in and out. We get this. When a snake breathes in, it doesn't smell anything. That's because the receptor cells that since smell are located on the roof of the mouth in the area called the Jacobson's organ. And the most effective way for those particles in the air to get to the Jacobson's organ, well, that's by flicking the tongue in and out. The tongue collects the tiny particles that are floating around in the air that you and I would normally breathe in, but instead it brings it in to the roof of the mouth and delivers them to the receptor cells on that Jacobson's organ Basically, the tongue flicking behavior is just a way for the snake to identify what's in the environment and does not mean necessarily that it's going to strike. I want to thank you so much, Violet for sending those questions in. They were really good and I have a feeling there were a lot of people out there with the same questions, So by asking those questions, you helped everyone learn a little more about rattlesnakes today. And if any of our other young listeners have questions about wildlife, please send us an audio file of you asking your questions to wildlife at I heart media dot com. Then keep listening to see if wed to your questions in an upcoming episode. Yes, thanks Violent for those wonderful questions, and thank you for listening. We hope you've enjoyed learning a lot about rattlesnakes. Be sure to subscribe and tune into next week's episode, in which we bring it the story of a perhaps surprisingly tey stone species of the desert. I'm Ebony Money and I'm Rick Schwartz. Thanks for listening. If you would like to find out more about San Diego Zoo wildlaf Alliance, please visit sdz w a dot org. Amazing Wildlife is a production of I Heart Radio. Our producer is Nikia Swinton and our executive producer is Marcy to Peanut. Our audio engineer and editor is Sierra Spring. For more shows from my heart Radio, check out the I heart Radio app, Apple podcast, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. Two