You hear a rattle. All of a sudden you see a snake's head with huge 1 1/2 inch fangs jump out and bite a mouse. It's a rattlesnake. Rattlesnakes can grow to be six feet long! It uses its tongue to find food! If its tongue is down, its searching for food. If its tongue is up, it's studying the scent. It eats mice, rats, gophers, birds, lizards, frogs, and toads. When it goes hunting, it waits for its prey to come close. It doesn't chase its prey. After it bites the animal, it waits for the venom to kill the animal. Then it swallows it whole. The rattlesnake's fangs move forward when it is striking but otherwise they're folded in the mouth. There are 2 kinds of rattlesnakes that live in Colorado: the faded midget and theprairie rattlesnake. The venom of the faded midget rattlesnake is ten to thirty times more deadly than the prairie rattler. Western rattlesnakes have three layers of skin! The bottom is the thickest. It adds a new layer every time it sheds. Their defense is camouflage. The rattlesnake has one other defense, it makes itself into a coil, then it rattles its tail as a warning. When the enemy comes close, it strikes. They have five to ten babies. The babies are about twelve inches long. They weigh about three onces. Baby rattlesnakes can take care of themselves right away. They live in grasslands, shrublands, rocky areas, pinyon and juniper forests throughout Colorado. Here's a safety tip: Never reach into dark holes, I mean never!

I got my information from RATTLESNAKES, a ZooBook and COLORADO WILDLIFE by Jeff Rennicke.