Page 45 - King Coba
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Sidewinder
What’s that slithering across the sand at record speeds? It’s the sidewinder! With their special sidewinding moves across the
hot sand, they can reach speeds of up to 18 mph (29 kph). The sidewinder’s name and ability are shared by three vipers that are distantly related: the sidewinder rattlesnake, the Peringuey’s desert adder, and the desert horned viper. Each of these reptiles lives in similar habitats around the world: the deserts in the American Southwest, the Middle East, and Southern Africa.
Eastern Diamondback
This rattlesnake is the biggest venomous snake in North America, and the largest known rattlesnake.
They can reach up to 8 ft. (2.4 m) in length and weigh up to 10 lbs. (4.5 kg)! These stunning animals can be easily spotted by the diamond-shaped pattern on its back, and they are well known for their rattle and painful, toxic bite. When they are bothered, the rattle on this snake’s tail shakes out
a warning before it strikes. Their rattles can often break
off, but a new one grows in each time the snake sheds.
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