OAK
HILLS ESTATES
Baby Western Rattlesnake Crotalis viridis
This Western Rattlesnake is less than a foot long, and hatched this
spring. Young rattlesnakes have the same amount of venom as adults. Since they
are inexperienced, they can't control the amount of venom they inject if they
feel threatened and strike, so a bite from a baby can be much more dangerous.
In addition, rattlesnakes get one rattle a year, so they don't have anything
to rattle together to warn you off if they are scared. If you look at this baby's
tail, there is only one little nub. The positive side is that they are small
and terrified of the world around them, so they try very hard to hide and stay
out of your way. They mostly eat and sleep, just like most other babies.
