Facts on the Sidewinder Rattlesnake

Three subspecies of sidewinder rattlesnake exist in the United States, a snake that takes its name from the way it moves. Sidewinders use static friction to move over soft areas such as sandy washes and dunes, throwing their bodies sideways to propel themselves forward; this leaves a series of imprints shaped like the letter J on the sand. The sidewinder rattlesnake does have venom that is potentially very dangerous to a human being, but the snake is only aggressive toward people when it feels threatened or if they happen to provoke or corner it.

Identification

The average size of an adult sidewinder rattlesnake is between 17 and 33 inches, with the newly born snakes in the 7-inch range. Sidewinders have a stout body, a head shaped like a triangle, a slender neck area and elliptical pupils in the eyes. A dark stripe extends above each eye and a scale resembling a horn protrudes over each eye. These scales give the snake the nickname of horned rattler. The scales help to protect the eyes when the snake goes underground in search of food. The colors vary between subspecies, with combinations of pink, cream, tan, brown and gray-black possible.

Features

The sidewinder rattlesnake features a thickened tail that has loose segments of shed skin that form a rattle on the end. Each time the snake sheds its skin, another segment adds to this rattle, which the newborn sidewinders lack. The sidewinder shakes its rattle to produce a buzzing sound that warns enemies away. The California Herps website says that the sidewinder is a pit viper, with heat-sensitive pits along the side of the snake's head giving it the ability to find warm-blooded prey in the dark. The long fangs are hollow and connect to glands that produce the venom. Broken fangs grow back and a sidewinder, like other rattlers, controls just how much venom it injects with its bite.

Types

The Mojave Desert sidewinder is native to southwestern Utah, the Mojave Desert in southeastern California and southern portions of Nevada. The Colorado Desert of extreme southeastern California contains the Colorado Desert sidewinder, as does southwestern areas in Arizona and parts of Mexico. The third subspecies exists in the Sonora Desert. The Sonoran Desert sidewinder lives in the southern segment of central Arizona well into Mexico.

Diet

The sidewinder rattlesnake remains dormant during cold periods. During warmer weather, the snake hunts at dawn and dusk and through the evening hours, looking for such prey as kangaroo rats, mice, other rodents, lizards and birds. The younger sidewinders prefer lizards, while the older snakes will hunt larger animals such as rodents. The "National Audubon Society Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians" states that the snake stays in abandoned mammal burrows and under bushes to escape the heat of the daytime sun.

Hunting

Sidewinders will bury themselves just under the sandy surface and ambush prey that happens by, often positioning themselves near rodent and lizard paths as well as next to the homes of kangaroo rats. The snake will quickly bite its target; if the prey is a rodent, it lets it go and then tracks down the doomed creature. If the intended meal is a lizard, the snake holds on until the reptile perishes from the venom. Sidewinders then swallow the meal headfirst and whole.

References

• California Herps: Mojave Desert Sidewinder
• Desert USA: Sidewinder
• "National Audubon Society Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians"; John L. Behler: 2008