The rattlesnake is one of four poisonous snakes native to Texas. The western diamondback is the most common of the snake's ten species. They use their venom to kill and predigest animals for food. Rattlesnakes typically are not aggressive toward humans. Most bites occur when a snake is being purposely handled.
Defensive bites do occur from time to time.
Rattlesnake bites should not be cut with a knife but should be treated at a hospital. Get Acrobat's Acrobat's Accessibility Reader for PDFs . Best vi ewed with Netscape 4.x or Internet Explorer 4.x or above. Office of the Governor of Texas. The images on this web site are copyrighted and may not be downloaded.