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Rattlesnake Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.
Rattlesnake facts for kids
| Rattlesnake | |
|---|---|
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| Crotalus cerastes | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Serpentes |
| Family: | Viperidae |
| Subfamily: | Crotalinae |
| Genera | |
The rattlesnake is a kind of snake, a reptile. About 50 kinds of rattlesnakes are known. They are a kind of pit viper. People of science call the two big groups of rattlesnakes (each called a genus) either Crotalus or Sistrurus. All of them have a poison bite, but some kinds are a much greater danger than others.
The name rattlesnake is used because they have a special tail with several parts on the end that can make a loud bzzzz sound, or rattle.
Rattlesnakes live in North and South America, especially, but not always, in dry areas. They eat small animals such as birds and rodents.
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Western diamondback rattlesnake.
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Sidewinder rattlesnake.
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Northern black-tailed rattlesnake.
Images for kids
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Western diamondback rattlesnake (Crotalus atrox), responsible for the majority of venomous snakebites in North America, coiled in defensive posture with rattle erect
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Timber rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus) with clearly visible facial pits
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Rattlesnake skull
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Rattlesnake rattle
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Two male Northern Pacific rattlesnakes (C. oreganus oreganus) engage in a "combat dance"
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A rattlesnake warning sign in California
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Stone sculptures of feathered serpents on display at the National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City
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Snake handling at the Pentecostal Church of God in the town of Lejunior, Harlan County, Kentucky September 15, 1946