rattlesnake: Quick Facts

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Last updated

Oct. 26, 2026

News •

Not all rattlesnakes are alike: Research suggests personality influences how rattlesnakes use their venom • Oct. 21, 2026, 5:40 PM ET (Phys.org)

Photos and Videos

eastern diamondback rattlesnake

timber rattlesnake

Prairie rattlesnake, Crotalus viridis, coiled on the ground among dry leaves and sticks, showing its patterned scales and distinctive rattle at the end of its tail.

An illustration of an eastern diamondback rattlesnake (Crotalus adamanteus) coiled with its head raised, displaying its distinctive diamond-shaped pattern along its back and a visible rattle at the end of its tail. A scale bar shows 10 centimeters and 4 inches for size reference.

A rattlesnake coiled on a rock with its mouth open, showing its fangs and poised to strike, surrounded by green plants.

A seized rattlesnake kept at a shelter in Scottsdale, Ariz., where exotic pet importation is a chronic problem.

(Top) Partially dissected head of rattlesnake showing heat-sensitive membrane inside pit organ. (Bottom) Cones of reception, and directions from which heat energy can be detected.

What a rattlesnake's rattle looks like

A South American rattlesnake and young coatis: A dangerous encounter

How rattlesnakes drink rain from their scales

Examine the preparation measures taken by foraging pikas and hibernating ground squirrels

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