Rattlesnakes are perhaps the best known and most easily identifiable snakes in the United States. Most rattlesnakes stretch three to five feet long at maturity and all possess the distinctive rattler at the edge of their tail. The rattle is created through the frequent molting of the snakes skin. With each molt, a new segment on the rattle appears. The exact reason for the rattle is unknown.
Scientists believe that the rattle is used to attract mates and repel attackers.
Rattlesnakes fall into the category of snakes known as pit vipers. The pit is a heat sensitive organ located between the eyes and the nostril. The pit acts as a heat radar system to locate prey at night. The snakes kill their prey of mice, rats and prairie dogs by injecting their venom through their hollow front fangs. The largest rattlesnake in the United States is the Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake which can grow up to eight feet long.