Desert rattlesnakes mainly eat rodents, rabbits, ground squirrels, and lizards, ambushing them and injecting venom before tracking the animal down.
What Rattlesnakes Eat
Rattlesnakes are carnivores. Their diet is mostly small mammals such as mice, rats, ground squirrels, chipmunks, gophers, and rabbits. They also eat lizards, birds, frogs, and sometimes other snakes. Smaller species feed mainly on lizards, while larger species eat lizards when young and shift mostly to mammals as adults.
Desert Hunting
In the desert, a rattlesnake often waits coiled near a rodent trail or burrow. Heat-sensing pits between the eyes and nostrils help it detect warm-bodied prey in the dark. When prey comes within range, it strikes and injects hemotoxic venom, which begins breaking down tissue. Rodent-eating species typically strike and release so the prey cannot bite back, then follow its scent trail until it dies and swallow it whole.
How Often Do They Eat?
Rattlesnakes have slow metabolisms. Many eat only a handful of meals per year, and a big meal can feed them for weeks. They are most active at dusk and at night in hot weather, resting in burrows and shade by day.
Staying Safe Around Rattlesnakes
- Give any snake plenty of space. Most bites happen when people try to handle or kill them.
- Watch where you step and put your hands, especially in rocky or brushy areas.
- Keep pet dogs on a leash in snake country.
- If bitten, stay calm, remove tight items, and get to an emergency room right away. Call your vet immediately if a pet is bitten.
Bottom Line
Rattlesnakes are ambush predators that eat rodents, rabbits, and lizards. They help control rodent populations, so leaving them alone from a safe distance is best. See also what viper snakes eat, what gopher snakes eat (often mistaken for rattlers), and what eyelash vipers eat.
