Adult rattlesnakes feed primarily on warnn-blooded prey, 

 but frogs, lizards, and other cold-blooded animals are also 

 innportant foods, particularly for young rattlesnakes. Rattle- 

 snakes are so called because of the rattles on the end of their 

 tails. The sound of these rattles is not caused by "beads" 

 on the inside, but comes from the individual horny segments 

 that rattle against one another. A new segment is added each 

 tinne the snake sheds its skin, and since shedding may take 

 place three or nnore tinries each year, the number of rattle 

 segments will not tell a rattlesnake's age. 



Copperheads are found south of the Great Lakes region and 

 from the plains states eastward. They live in terrain varying 

 from lowland swamps up to the rocky ridges of the Appalachian 

 Mountains. Copperheads are not large snakes and seldom 

 exceed three feet in length. Their common name connes from 

 the brassy-brown color of the head. These snakes are not too 

 particular about the food they eat. Small rodents form a large 

 part of the diet, but frogs, lizards, and other snakes are 

 eaten when available. Copperheads also eat considerable 

 numbers of insects. 



The water moccasin or cottonmouth is a large, heavy 

 bodied snake that lives in lakes, swamps, and streams of 

 southern states. An excellent swimmer, the water moccasin 

 feeds primarily on fish and frogs. It also feeds to a lesser 

 extent on lowland mammals, birds, salamanders, and reptiles. 

 The water moccasin gets the name cottonmouth from its habit 

 of showing the white lining of its mouth when disturbed. The 

 water moccasin is a fair climber and often suns itself on low 

 limbs overhanging the water. Like all pit vipers in this 

 country, water moccasins give birth to their young. 



The coral snake is the only poisonous snake native to the 

 United States that does not belong to the pit viper family. This 

 brilliantly colored creature is related to the cobras of Africa 

 and Asia. A coral snake's fangs cannot be folded back and they 

 are much shorter than those of the pit vipers. Since they are 

 shy and secretive, coral snakes are seldom seen and bites 

 from them are rare. Coral snake venom is neurotoxic, which 

 nneans that it attacks the nerves. This is probably the deadliest 

 snake venonn found within the United States. Coral snakes are 

 egg layers and their food consists primarily of lizards and 

 snakes. 



COPPERHEAD 



COTTONMOUTH 



