rattlesnake

plural rattlesnakes · alternative rattle snake

1. Any of various venomous American snakes, of genera Crotalus and Sistrurus, having a rattle at the end of its tail.

   Hooded rattlesnakes, horned toads, and lizards crawl in the dust and among the rocks.

   1895, J[ohn] W[esley] Powell, chapter I, in Canyons of the Colorado, Meadville, PA: Flood & Vincent; republished as The Exploration of the Colorado River and Its Canyons, New York: Dover, 1961, →ISBN, →OCLC, page 22

   2 more examples

   The country ran shuttles and posted signs encouraging visitors to enjoy the display responsibly, but those precautions didn't prevent rattlesnake bites, twisted ankles, heat exhaustion, Instacelebs and other selfie-takers lying in or otherwise trampling the delicate blooms they'd come to see.

   2019 July, Jeffrey Rindskopf, “The Costs of Instatravel”, in DOPE Magazine, page 90

   Generally not aggressive, rattlesnakes strike when threatened or deliberately provoked, but given room they will retreat. Most snake bites occur when a rattlesnake is handled or accidentally touched by someone walking or climbing. The majority of snakebites occur on the hands, feet and ankles.

   (Can we date this quote?), “Snake Safety”, in USDA, page 1

   Synonyms: rattler