That lovely specimen above is Crotalus adamanteus, or as it is more commonly known- the eastern diamondback rattlesnake. It is a snake in the family Viperidae, and, more specifically, a member of the subfamily Crotalinae. The snakes in the subfamily Crotalinae are what we commonly refer to as pit vipers. Pit vipers are all venomous snakes distinguished by the presences of heat-sensing pit organs in between the eye and nostril on either side of the head.
Here is the awesome thing about pit vipers- they're basically Mother Nature's version of Predator. Y'know- the movie with Arnold "Bankrupt California" Schwarzenegger? Well, if you recall, this is how the Predator aliens saw their prey:
[Predators hate rainbow people]
Well, pit vipers do the same thing thanks to those aforementioned pit organs (the name "pit vipers" starting to make a bit more sense now?). When prey gets in range of the snake, infrared radiation falling onto the membrane of the snake's pit organ allows it to determine the prey's location. Not only can the snake tell that prey is near, but it can also hone in on the direction and distance of the prey. Experiments have shown that, when deprived of their senses of sight and smell, these snakes can strike accurately at moving objects that are less than 0.2°C warmer than the background.
Sure, pit vipers are loaded to the brim with neurotoxins (c'mon- who doesn't have neurotoxins these days? Remember that garter snake you used to see in your back yard as a kid? Yup. Neurotoxins.), and proportionately have bigger fangs than any other snake in the world (other snakes would have you believe that is meaningless, quoting the oft-used "Its not the size of the boat, but the motion of the ocean". Whatever helps you sleep at night spitting cobras), but the real reason they're so awesome is because of their heat sensing pit organs.
Mother Nature must have been experimenting with some serious stuff during Woodstock to think it all would be fair in the food chain when she started handing pit organs out.
[Pictured: Mother Nature and Father Time, circa 1969]
Quite an interesting topic indeed, I learnt something today about the Crotalus adamanteus. Heat sensing organs must make them a force to be reckoned...lol at mother nature's choices.
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