The prairie rattlesnake is well-known for the rattling noise it makes when the rings at the base of its tail rub against one other. The snake can hide fangs behind its flat, triangular skull. Dark spots dot the snake’s back, and the underside is cream-colored. The body is greenish-gray to greenish-brown in color.

Every time the rattlesnake peels its skin, maybe four or five times during its first summer and once or twice a year after, a new rattle is attached to the string. Females have more rings than males. 

Habitats/Behaviours

  • Even though the prairie rattlesnake is cold-blooded, the humidity of its environment affects its health.
  • It hibernates in caverns and other animals’ burrows throughout the winter.
  • The rattlesnake hunts throughout the day in the cooler months of spring and autumn, but it must hunt at night during the hotter months of summer.
  • This snake is not aggressive, and if approached, it will usually escape. However, as a predator, it has unique abilities. It can sense smells and heat up to 30 meters away because to the tongue it has attached to its smell- and heat-sensing membranes.
  • To catch food, prairie rattlesnakes strike quickly and use their deadly fangs to immobilize their victim. Small animals, amphibians, reptiles, and surface birds are all prey to the rattlesnake.

Range

It is possible to come across a prairie rattlesnake in southwest Saskatchewan or southeast Alberta. From Idaho and Montana to western Iowa and northern Mexico, the species’ range in the United States spans.