by JAMES CONNOR

							by JAMES CONNOR
THERE ARE:
 MAMMALS

 FISH

 REPTILES

 BIRDS

 AMPHIBIANS
   A rattlesnake is cold-blooded. They breathe
    using lungs. The rattlesnake’s skin is covered
    in scales. They have no feet or legs and move
    around by slithering along the ground. The
    rattlesnake reproduces babies by laying eggs.
Rattlesnakes are poisonous
snakes. They have a rattle
on the end of their tail.
They have jaws that open
very wide. They eat mice
and birds head first. They
can unhook their jaw to eat
animals twice their size.
All Diamondback Rattlesnakes have different colors.
They have yellow scales, but some of them have brown
to black scales. Their tails have black and white stripes.
They have a dark V or diamond-shaped markings on
their back.
The eastern diamondback
is about 33-96 inches long.
The largest eastern
diamondback snakes are
eight feet long.

The western diamondback
is about 30-84 inches long.
The largest western
diamondbacks are less
than seven feet long.
Rattlesnakes live in every southeastern and southwestern
state. Rattlesnakes are carnivores. That means they are
meat eaters. They like to eat mice, lizards, birds, and
other small animals. They hide in tall grass and are
noctural. That means they hunt mostly at night.
   Rattling can scare off an enemy. The tail makes
    a buzzing sound when it moves. Newborn
    rattle snakes don’t have a rattle. They start
    making rattles when they grow out of their
    skin. That is called molting.
Be careful of rattlesnakes. Over 8,000 people
are bitten by poisonous snakes every year.

                             A bite might
                             start with just
                             four holes, but
                             the poison can
                             cause a lot of
                             damage.
If you want to learn more just go to a book fair,
a library, Lowry Park Zoo, or check on the
internet.