Representatives of rattlesnakes live from wet jungles and high mountains to deserts, there are even water species. Some snakes live on the ground, others – on trees, some climb to a height of more than 1 km. above sea level.
If you do not take into account some species that are active around the clock, snakes of this subfamily prefer to lead a nocturnal life to avoid sunny and thermal burns and go out hunting when most of their victims are active. In the daytime, rattlesnakes prefer to hide in mink rodents or under stones. In order to find the most optimal place for rest, snakes again use their thermosensitive dimples.
The main food of pits is small vertebrate mammals. These snakes usually wait patiently in ambush, until an unsuspecting victim approaches closer. A specimen of Chinese tree species every year, when the migration of birds occurs, return to a certain place, in which it is always equipped with an ambush. According to research, these snakes constantly improve their ability to attack.
Rattlesnakes choose such places for wintering, where they will feel comfortable together to warm themselves about each other when everyone falls into a hibernation. When the cold season comes. Rattlesnakes try to use all the possibilities to warm themselves in the sun, just as do pregnant females. Some kinds of snakes, for example, moccasin, do not come together.
Like snakes of other species, rattlers attack a person only when they are cornered, or are in real danger. The larger the snake, the easier it is to defend it. The population of rattlesnakes is reduced, which is caused by pollution and deforestation in the tropics. Also, the drop in the number of snakes of this species is promoted by a person, hunting for them because of the skin. Many snakes also die under the wheels of cars.
