]00 SERPENTS 



lough skin of the rodent, and far into its body. After one 

 eould have counted ten, the rat was released; and thirteen 

 minutes later it was dead. 



SPECIES OF RATTLESNAKES 



Fourteen valid species of Rattlesnakes are found in North 

 America, one in South Amerjca, and there are none else- 

 where. Our most prominent species are as follows: 



ENGLISH NAME LOCALITY LATIN NAME 



Dog-Faced Rattlesnake. .New Mexico Crotalus molossus. 



Timber Rattlesnake Eastern half of United 



States Crotalus horridus. 



Diamond Rattlesnake. . . . Florida and Gulf States . Crotalus adamanteus. 



Texas Rattlesnake The Southwest Crotalus air ox. 



Prairie Rattlesnake The Plains Region Crotalus confluentus. 



Pacific Rattlesnake The Pacific States Crotalus lucifer. 



Tiger Rattlesnake Extreme Southwest. . . .Crotalus tigris. 



Horned Rattlesnake Extreme Southwest. . . .Crotalus cerastes. 



Green Rattlesnake Mexican Boundary Crotalus lepidus. 



White Rattlesnake Southern and Lower 



California Crotalus mitcheUi. 



Massasauga Nebraska to New York . Sistrurus catenatus. 



Edwards' Massasauga. . . .The Southwest Sistrurus edwardsi. 



Ground Rattlesnake Atlantic States South. ..Sistrurus miliarias. 



Among the Rattlesnake species are several striking ex- 

 amples of color-development to suit their surroundings, or 

 what is known in well-worn phrase as "protective coloration.*" 

 The Banded or Timber Rattlesnake is a good imitation of the 

 color of dead leaves and damp earth. The color pattern of 

 the Diamond Rattler is made up of rich though quiet tones 

 of brown and yellow, dark and light, like the shadows of saw- 

 palmetto leaves falling upon yellow sand. The Texas Rat- 

 tler and the Horned Rattlesnake of the Southwest are so 



