They are able to identify and kill their prey in total darkness. The rattler's heat sensors can detect the prey's body heat from a considerable distance. When the snake strikes, its head and fangs are precisely guided by additional heat sensors on its upper mandible. The rattlesnake's fangs are usually folded back against the roof of its mouth, but when the jaws open to strike, special muscles bring the fangs into position, and venom is pumped into the prey by glands in the snake's head. This is useful both for striking and for swallowing animals whole, since snakes are unable to chew their food.
Rattlesnakes give birth to live young.
When two males meet, they neck-wrestle to determine who will stay. Prairie rattlers are often found in prairie dog burrows which they use to escape extreme heat or cold and to hunt other animals using the burrows for shelter. Rattlers gather in these underground burrows to sleep through the winter. During this period of hibernation, their body processes slow down so much, they don't need to eat. View this page in non-frames for easy printing.