E is for Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake

Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnakes are also called diamond snakes, the common rattle snake, the diamond rattler, the Florida diamondback snake, water rattler, or the woodland rattler. They are the most venomous snakes in America.

These snakes are among the largest snakes on earth.  The heaviest Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake ever found weighed 15.4 kilograms (34 pounds).  The length is usually 3 to 5 feet long.  People have seen Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnakes that are 8 feet long!  They are usually brown, brownish yellow, brownish grey, or olive brown in color.  Their skin is covered with diamond shaped scales.  Their belly is yellow or cream.

They live in dry pine forests, salt marshes, swamp forests and cypress swamps in the united states.  They live in southeastern North Carolina, Florida, southern Alabama, and Mississippi.

Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnakes catch their prey by surprising it.  It eats small mammals like rats, birds rabbits, and lizards.  Adults usually eat rabbits.  Some people have seen them eat turkeys! Young snakes eat smaller mammals like rodents and squirrels and sometimes insects.

Since they are reptiles they lay eggs.   

My nana once saw a rattlesnake at Zion National Park while we were walking on a trail.  She screamed! I was very surprised!