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Researchers Capture Amazing Video of Rattlesnake Striking Prey
KCRA ^

Posted on 02/14/2017 11:41:28 AM PST by nickcarraway

Researchers at the Higham Lab at the University of California, Riverside set up a high-speed camera to capture something rarely seen on camera: a rattlesnake attacking its prey.

You can see in the video above, a Mohave rattlesnake quickly moves to strike a kangaroo rat as it hops by. In this case, the rat was able to detect the snake's movement in time to jump out of the way and escape.

The lab says the animals in this video are free-ranging, so they had to set up cameras to capture the moment. They tracked the snakes' movement and set up cameras in the field around areas they would usually hunt.

To catch the strike in detail, the researchers used a high-speed camera, that records 500 frames per second, then played the video back, slowed down by 30 times.

Also, because rattlesnakes mainly hunt at night, they used infrared lighting that is visible to cameras, but not to animals.


TOPICS: Pets/Animals
KEYWORDS:

Video

1 posted on 02/14/2017 11:41:28 AM PST by nickcarraway
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To: nickcarraway

This is what I’d like Special Proscutor Giuliani to do to failed Secretary Clinton.


2 posted on 02/14/2017 11:43:17 AM PST by Yaelle
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To: nickcarraway

That kangaroo rat reacted and escaped at the LAST possible moment! It doesn’t get any closer than that...


3 posted on 02/14/2017 11:48:27 AM PST by sargon ("If we were in the midst of a zombie apocalypse, the Left would protest for zombies' rights.")
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To: nickcarraway

Back in the Dark Ages, when I was in SE Asia, the gambling parlors (pachinko) used to have a cobra vs Mongoose game. In most cases the mongoose won.
Years later I read that a rattlesnake could beat a mongoose any day.


4 posted on 02/14/2017 11:49:08 AM PST by Ruy Dias de Bivar
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To: Ruy Dias de Bivar

The mongoose was juiced.


5 posted on 02/14/2017 11:55:07 AM PST by nickcarraway
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To: Ruy Dias de Bivar

if so it’s only because mongooses (mongeese?) aren’t immune to rattlesnake venom like they are cobra venom


6 posted on 02/14/2017 11:57:10 AM PST by Bob434
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To: Ruy Dias de Bivar
Years later I read that a rattlesnake could beat a mongoose any day.

That wouldn't surprise me. I understand that pit vipers are much faster strikers than cobras.

7 posted on 02/14/2017 11:57:38 AM PST by CommerceComet (Hillary: A unique blend of incompetence and corruption.)
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To: Ruy Dias de Bivar

Back in those “Dark Ages” in Okinawa, they thought imported Mongooses would control Okinawa’s poisonous Habu snakes, but the Mongooses ignored the Habu snakes and went after the Okinawan’s chickens. Now, in addition to a Habu problem, Okinawans have a Mongoose problem.


8 posted on 02/14/2017 12:27:57 PM PST by DJ Taylor (Once again our country is at war, and once again the Democrats have sided with our enemy.)
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To: Ruy Dias de Bivar

Rattlers are amount the fastest striking snakes in the world. But they strike low, unlike cobras that can get you as high as they stand up.

But, put a rattler up against a king snake and its all over for the rattler.


9 posted on 02/14/2017 12:29:50 PM PST by crz
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To: Bob434

No, it’s not. I’ve taken herpetology. Rattlesnakes have much faster reaction times than humans and most other animals.


10 posted on 02/14/2017 12:42:30 PM PST by mikeus_maximus (The liberal Left promotes hate and violence.)
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To: DJ Taylor

What’s sauce for the mongoose is sauce for the mongander?


11 posted on 02/14/2017 12:45:23 PM PST by tet68 ( " We would not die in that man's company, that fears his fellowship to die with us...." Henry V.)
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To: nickcarraway


12 posted on 02/14/2017 12:51:09 PM PST by JoeProBono (SOME IMAGES MAY BE DISTURBING VIEWER DISCRETION IS ADVISED;-{)
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To: nickcarraway

The snake must play for Atlanta.


13 posted on 02/14/2017 12:56:34 PM PST by DesertRhino
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To: Yaelle
This is what I’d like Special Proscutor Giuliani to do to failed Secretary Clinton.

That would be OK. What I think is more necessary going forward is to go "STASI" on the OFA organization Obama and Soros are involved in. It should be tracked from the paid rioters up through the capos they deal with to the main guys co-ordinating and ordering the chaos. Remember how it all stopped during the latter part of the election when it was clear it was helping Trump and hurting Hillary? There's an organization, and a seditious one at that.

14 posted on 02/14/2017 12:58:10 PM PST by Pearls Before Swine
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To: nickcarraway

When I was a kid in the 50s or early 60s, nearby Freeport, FL used to have a yearly rattlesnake roundup.

Army Rangers from Eglin would come over and handle them. One thing they would do is hold a balloon around two feet from one and let it strike. Their speed really was just about faster than one could see.

They would also kill, skin, and batter fry a bunch. All you could eat for free. The meat was white and clean looking but I just never could eat any. Those that did said it was good.


15 posted on 02/14/2017 1:07:44 PM PST by yarddog (Romans 8:38-39, For I am persuaded.)
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To: mikeus_maximus

what does that have to do with what i said? Did you meaN TO RESPOND TO SOMEONE ELSE PERHAPS? woops cps lock- My comment wasn’t about the speed of the bite- but rather about mongooses developing immunity to cobra venom


16 posted on 02/14/2017 2:23:47 PM PST by Bob434
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To: yarddog
Same for the yearly rattlesnake hunt at Waurika, Oklahoma. They'd catch thousands each spring to display, kill, and eat.
17 posted on 02/14/2017 5:27:01 PM PST by vetvetdoug
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