Sidewinder Snake Information
The sidewinder is a rattlesnake that has made distinct adaptations to the hot, desert regions it inhabits in the United States and Mexico. Sidewinders have an odd method of moving and a special way to protect their eyes from injury as they burrow in the sand and dirt. The three species of sidewinders are venomous and present a potentially serious threat in an encounter with a human being, so people should always leave this snake alone.
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Identification
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A thin neck, stout body and triangular head are all features of a sidewinder. This snake is not particularly long, with the size range between 17 and 32 inches in length. The color depends on the subspecies and the environment, with shades of pink, tan, brown, gray and cream all possible in different combinations. The Desert USA website states that sidewinders have darker patches of colors on their backs and a dark line that extends from the eye to the beginning of the back.
Locomotion
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The sidewinder's name comes from its method of moving along the hot, shifting sands of its environment, where gaining traction becomes problematic. To avoid having its entire body in contact with the hot surface, the sidewinder moves using a looping, sideways movement in which only two points of its underbelly touch the ground at a time. This leaves parallel "J" shapes in the sand as the snake moves along, according to the National Audubon Society Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians. When the situation requires, a sidewinder can move in the same manner as a normal snake.
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Hunting
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The sidewinder hunts by ambushing an unsuspecting victim, using its venom to paralyze the creature and then swallowing it whole. Sidewinders will bury themselves in the sand at night or near dusk or dawn, waiting for a kangaroo rat, pocket mouse or a similar small animal to venture nearby. The sidewinder will bite its prey and wait for the venom to take effect; the snake lets rodents go and tracks them down, but holds fast to lizards until they expire.
Features
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A triangular and hornlike scale projects over each eye on a sidewinder and gives the snake the alternate name of "horned rattlesnake." These projections, though, are not horns, but rather a form of protection for the eyes when the snake has to burrow in the sand. All snakes lack eyelids, but these scales fold down and cover the eyes as the sidewinder digs. Being pit vipers, the sidewinders have special facial sensors that detect heat and help them find prey in the dark.
Geography
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Three separate subspecies of the sidewinder exist in the Desert Southwest. The Mojave sidewinder is found in southeastern extremes of Utah, southern parts of Nevada and in the Mojave Desert in California. The Colorado Desert sidewinder exists in southwest Arizona, southeast California and northern sections of Mexico. The Sonoran sidewinder can be found in Arizona and California in the Sonora Desert.
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References
- Photo Credit desert sidewinder rattlesnake image by MAXFX from Fotolia.com
