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Silence is not often an attribute ascribed to rattlesnakes.
But beneath the many sounds of a lively southern ecosystem, a unique environment hides a reclusive snake that has long
mystified many who have tried to learn about it.
The Ground rattlesnake, known for its relatively shy and silent demeanor, is a species whose secretive life is ripe for revelation.
Wetlands are hardly reminiscent of the desert vistas expected to be the home of rattlesnakes, But
this landscape is in such tight synchronization with the organisms within it, that in many ways, it can
be difficult to differentiate the rattlesnake from the place that it lives.
Reptiles like rattlesnakes depend on environment conditions, rather than internal mechanisms, to regulate
their body temperatures, and the southern wetlands, with year-round warmth, represent one of the richest reptile habitats
in North America.
It's in this reptile oasis that many species of venomous snakes are found, including such famous representatives as
the Cottonmouth, Copperhead, Timber Rattlesnake, and Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake.
The Eastern Diamondback and the Timber Rattlesnakes are perhaps most notable, as each can grow over six feet long,
making them a source for many components in the vast mythos of cultural perceptions surrounding the rattlesnake.
Both belong to the genus Crotalus, to which over 40 others share a membership.
They comprise one of the most well-known groups of venomous snakes in the world.
But their lesser known counterpart in North America is the genus Sistrurus, to which only 3 species belong.
Historical accounts of Sistrurus are far less abundant than the robust literature describing their larger counterparts, but
most accounts describe these snakes as uniquely shy, and it's evident that for many years, little was understood about them.
Called by other names in the modern vernacular, the historically-named Ground Rattlesnake has gained a unique
reputation throughout its southern range.
Its body is often less than two feet long, only a third of the size of the Eastern Diamondback.
Its temperament is similarly distinct, with early sources attributing various personas to the snake, all
centered on it being quiet and reserved.
The Ground Rattlesnake is most at home in the fields and brush bordering wetlands,
where it can remain undisturbed and find rodents to eat in high numbers.
When hunting, it's strategically still, striking prey that unknowingly wanders into its path.
The Ground Rattlesnake is often prey itself, as its smaller body size makes it particularly vulnerable to predation from raptors,
but it counters this by being quiet and often motionless, which can render it much more difficult to detect.
A repetitive pattern of dark spots along its body help it melt into the patchwork of shadows present in wetland vegetation.
Such is indicative of the uniquely positioned relationship that rattlesnakes maintain with their environment.
During extended periods of food scarcity, rattlesnakes may forgo reproduction for several years at a time.
When they do reproduce, rattlesnakes give birth to live young.
This reproductive cycle of the rattlesnake, including those in the Sistrurus genus, is unlike that of many other snakes.
Many attributes of the Ground Rattlesnake's biology, coupled with a historical and modern reputation,
make the figure of the Ground Rattlesnake virtually indistinguishable from the ecosystem of which it is a part.
As a silent and largely motionless organism, it has come to be viewed less as an animal, and more a component
of the southern wetlands.
As a link between predator and prey, it occupies an ecological role reminiscent of this perception.
There is still much to be learned about the Ground Rattlesnake, and for now, the snake's secretive reputation will remain the
authoritative source on its life, the environment which it calls home acting as a veil over the life of the rattlesnake hidden within.
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