Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake (Crotalus adamanteus)
The eastern diamondback rattlesnake (Crotalus adamanteus) is a venomous pitviper that lives in the southeastern United States. C. adamanteus is the most venomous snake in North America and is also the largest rattlesnake. It can be found in the following states: North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana.
Diet Like most snakes, Crotalus adamanteus is a carnivore. They mainly eats rats, squirrels, mice, rabbits, gophers, and many species of birds. Habitat & Climate You can usually find Crotalus adamanteus in habitats such as longleaf pine uplands and sandhills, pine flatwoods, and pine-oak scrub. It generally avoids marshes and swamps, but on occasion will live near the borders of wetlands. Why is it Endangered? Crotalus adamanteus may not exactly be endangered, but it is in serious trouble. The snake's population is declining rapidly due to habitat destruction, rattlesnake roundups and because they are usually killed when humans find them. Since the species is declining, it is protected in North Carolina. Why Does it Matter? Yes I know that rattlesnakes are viscous and they bite and their venom kills but while all of that is true, what most people don't realize is that C. adamanteus is "extremely beneficial" to humans. You might wonder: A rattlesnake? Beneficial to humans? How is that even possible? Yes I know it's weird but it's true. But the real question is "Why?" Why are they beneficial to humans? Well, the reason why is because C. adamanteus tends to eat small animals that most humans think of as nuisances (See "Diet" for what they eat). How Can We Help? Well, we can stop killing rattlesnakes on a regular basis because the truth is that whenever a C. adamanteus is found by a human, the human usually kills it. People have got to realize that rattlesnakes are not as scary as they think they are. Snakes are just animals. They aren't monsters. They won't bite you if you don't harass them. SO LEAVE THEM ALONE!!!!!! Fun Facts
Bibliography Diet http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/accounts/Crotalus_adamanteus/, http://www.oriannesociety.org/eastern-diamondback-rattlesnake, http://www.herpsofnc.org/herps_of_NC/snakes/Croada/Cro_ada.html, http://www.ducksters.com/animals/diamondbackrattler.php Habitat & Climate http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/accounts/Crotalus_adamanteus/, http://srelherp.uga.edu/snakes/croada.htm, http://www.herpsofnc.org/herps_of_NC/snakes/Croada/Cro_ada.html, http://www.oriannesociety.org/eastern-diamondback-rattlesnake, http://www.ducksters.com/animals/diamondbackrattler.php, http://www.snake-removal.com/diamondback.html Why is it Endangered? http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/accounts/Crotalus_adamanteus/, Why Does it Matter? http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/accounts/Crotalus_adamanteus/, http://srelherp.uga.edu/snakes/croada.htm, http://www.herpsofnc.org/herps_of_NC/snakes/Croada/Cro_ada.html, How Can We Help?http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/accounts/Crotalus_adamanteus/ Fun Facts http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/reptiles/eastern-diamondback-rattlesnake/, http://voices.yahoo.com/fun-facts-information-eastern-diamondback-3679956.html, http://www.snake-removal.com/diamondback.html First Picture http://www.venombyte.com/images/venom/snakes/eastern_diamondback_rattlesnake.jpg Second Picture http://www.oriannesociety.org/sites/default/themes/orianne/images/rangemaps/Eastern_Diamondback.jpg Third Picture http://s2.hubimg.com/u/5379403_f260.jpg Fourth Picturehttp://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/06/18/article-0-1A63CFE6000005DC-147_634x352.jpg Fifth Picture http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_SqhhJb_P3Kk/TG3rBJG4K0I/AAAAAAAAMq8/fQxx0Koa7Ek/s1600/Eastern+diamondback+rattlesnake.jpg Sixth Picture http://toqueboy.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/viperidae_1.jpg |