Texan rattlesnake

Texan Rattlesnake Skull measures 2.3 in. Texan Rattlesnake Skull is museum quality polyurethane resin cast. Known as Western Diamondback Rattlesnake

The Texan Rattlesnake or Western Diamondback Rattlesnake is a venomous rattlesnake species found in the southwestern United States and Mexico.

It is likely responsible for the majority of snakebite fatalities in northern Mexico and the greatest number of snakebites in the U.S.

They hunt (or ambush prey) at night or in the early morning.

These snakes can go for up to two years without food in the wild. A 5+1⁄2-month starvation study showed the snakes reduced energy expenditures by an average of 80% over the length of the study.

The snakes also feed from within on energy-rich lipid stores. The most interesting finding was the snakes grew during the study, indicating while the snake’s mass was shrinking, it was putting its resources into skeletal muscles and bone.

The Texan Rattlesnake or Western Diamondback Rattlesnake are preyed upon by a variety of larger mammals and birds, such as coyotes, foxes, hawks, owls and man.

They can be active at any time of the day or night when conditions are favorable. It is primarily diurnal and crepuscular in spring and fall and becomes primarily nocturnal and crepuscular during the hot summer months.

The Texan Rattlesnake or Western Diamondback Rattlesnake are heavily collected from the wild, frequently being drawn out of their hiding places with gasoline and used in rattlesnake roundups, where they are killed for food, skins and entertainment.