Endless Ocean

Rattlesnake P6

To move forward, the snake repeats these movements over and over again----in the same way that you take one step after another when you walk.

Serpentine motion is a way of moving on rough ground. The snake pushes its body sideways against rocks, roots, sticks, or other objects on the ground to move it along.

Sidewinding is a way of moving that is used by only a few types of rattlesnakes that live in the desert. These snakes are called sidewinders. By sidewinding, they can move quickly over loose sand.

Caterpillar motion can move a snake in a straight line. So rattlesnakes use this kind of motion in tight places. To push its body forward, a snake moves the large scutes on the bottom of the body. One after another, the scutes dig into the ground like small shovels.

As each scute digs in, muscles pull it back toward the tail. One by one, the scutes push against the ground and this moves the snake forward.

When a snake moves in a straight line, it uses the technique that people use when they row a boat. It digs its scutes into the ground the way rowers dig their oars into the water. The rest of the body is then pulled along, just the way a boat is pulled forward in the water.

All rattlers are good swimmers. They cross whatever watee is in their way as they search for food or a hiding place. Sometimes rattlesnakes hold their tails out of the water when they swim, probably to protect the rattle from injury.