They looked at one another and at the same moment began to scream. Rattlesnakes Rattlesnakes come in 16 distinct varieties with numerous subspecies and color variations, but they can all be identified by jointed rattles on their tail. However, most rattlers are found in the southwestern United States. The rattler's first choice of a home would have a constant supply of small rodents.
Rattlesnakes eat lizards, ground squirrels, small rabbits, rats, and mice.
The hollow fangs of the rattler penetrate their victim's flesh injecting venom. Most small prey are immediately paralyzed. A larger animal may run some distance before it dies. The snake will follow and swallow it whole. In the fall, in northern areas and higher elevations of their range, snakes congregate at crevices in rocky ledges to hibernate for the winter.