Neat Freak Rattlesnakes and Other Animals That Tidy Up
From birds that remove their babies' "dirty diapers" to crows that store their tools, nature is full of orderly species.
Kids, listen up: Even rattlesnakes keep their surroundings neat and tidy.
Northern Pacific rattlesnakes use their triangular heads and muscular necks to sweep aside messy grass on their hunting grounds, a new study says.
No one knows for sure why they bother. But a clear path to potential prey would be a boon for the reptiles, which can’t correct their aim during an attack. (See "Here's the Secret to How Snakes Slither.")
A striking rattler “has one shot. ... There’s no redoing it,” says San Diego State University graduate student Bree Putman, co-author of the new study in The Southwestern Naturalist. “Having less vegetation in the way probably helps.”
During her research, Putman observed only two male rattlers tidying their stakeout spots. But other studies show that several other rattlesnake species apparently do the same. (See incredible photos of rattlesnakes.)
More experiments are needed to confirm why the snakes brush away undergrowth, Putman says.
While it’s remarkable that a critter without limbs can de-clutter, plenty of other animals keep it clean.
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