Rattlesnakes relatively unaffected by the cold
Most reptiles move more slowly when temperatures drop, but venomous rattlesnakes appear to be an exception. The cold affects them, but not as much as scientists expected.
“Many reptiles and other animals that rely on external sources of heat have muscles that don’t contract as well when temperature drops. We wanted to know if that was the case with rattlesnakes, given their distribution,” explains UC Riverside biologist Tim Higham.
To answer this question, Higham and a team from San Diego State University examined the speed at which rattlers struck out at perceived threats in temperaturecontrolled containers. The team investigated how quickly the snakes defended themselves when faced with predators, as this speed can make the difference between life and death in nature.