Behavioral Observations . Dr. Ron Carter observes a cluster of bachelor males, which often gather together in areas some distance from the leks but near routes where females move to and from the feeding grounds. This topic has been the primary focus of my research since 1988. Whereas large snakes inject more venom than smaller snakes as might be expected, hungry snakes inexplicably release less venom than well-fed snakes. Rattlesnakes meter more venom into larger prey than smaller prey, apparently through deliberate, intrinsic control of venom delivery.
Rattlesnakes also attempt to inject more venom into birds and lizards than into mice.
More recently, we have begun to examine defensive strikes, which are particularly important to the problem of human snakebite. The brevity of these strikes, although probably adaptive to minimize the risk of retaliatory injury from a predator or antagonist, may limit the quantity of venom that can flow into the victim. Thus, we have begun to study the rate at which venom is ejected from the fangs to learn whether bites of brief duration indeed constrain venom delivery. More exciting, it is possible that articles of clothing such as blue jeans may further interrupt venom delivery. This dangerous snake is one of several taxa studied in the lab to learn how snakes use their venom.