To celebrate the middle of the week, I am going back to the documentary on some of the deadliest animals.  What?  Everyone loves learning about the animals that can kill us, right? Today we are looking for a little reptile called the Sidewinder, which is a venomous pit-viper.  I know, I know – snakes are gross, but it is best to learn about them now so you don’t try playing with one of these when you are out in the wild.  Oh and for the record, the “wild” that I am referring to are the deserts of southwestern USA and northwestern Mexico.

The Sidewinder is relatively small compared to other snakes as they only measure between 43 – 76 cm (17 – 30″) in length.  Now don’t go thinking that you can go and cuddle a Sidewinder just because they aren’t 15′ long.  Nope, these little rattle snakes can still pack a pretty good venomous punch.  Granted it may not be as bad as some of the other rattlesnake species but you will still be in a great deal of pain.  In fact, one person who had been bit compared the pain to sticking your arm in a bucket of burning oil.  That sounds pleasant, doesn’t it?  To accompany that burning pain, you may also have to deal with nausea, chills, dizziness and of course shock.  So make sure you take a good look at the picture so you can recognize this little guy while wandering through the desert.

The good news is that the Sidewinder isn’t looking to eat you so they will only attack as a form of self defense.  Now if you were a lizard or a rodent then you really need to be on the lookout.  When a Sidewinder is young they will feast on reptiles, which they attract to them with their tail.  Yep, these young little snakes will move their tail in a fashion that either mimics a fluttering moth or a slow moving caterpillar.  Just imagine the look of surprise on the lizard as they go in for the kill.  As the Sidewinder gets older their appetite shifts to rodents and they no longer have a need for this luring tactic.  I guess you need to be careful if you are out catching moths in the desert.  I would hate to accidentally catch a venomous snake.

That does it for another Wild Fact.  Enjoy the rest of your day.