Chapters in this book

1. Frontmatter I
2. Preface to the Second Edition VII
3. Preface to the First Edition VIII
4. Contents IX
5. INTRODUCTION 1
6. 1. STATUS
7. Introduction 11
8. Classification and Nomenclature 11
9. A List of Rattlesnake Species and Subspecies 15
10. Venomous Snakes in the United States Other than Rattlesnakes 17
11. Confusion regarding Rattlesnakes 20
12. Distinguishing Venomous from Harmless Snakes 23
13. The Use of Common Names 23
14. 2. CLASSIFICATION AND IDENTIFICATION
15. INTRODUCTION 27
16. A CHECK LIST OF THE RATTLESNAKES 29
17. CONDENSED ALPHABETICAL SYNONYMY OF THE RATTLESNAKES 101
18. CROSS-INDEX: VERNACULAR (OR COMMON) TO TECHNICAL NAMES 104
19. KEYS TO THE RATTLESNAKES 107
20. GLOSSARY 111
21. KEY TO THE RATTLESNAKES OF CANADA 117
22. KEY TO THE RATTLESNAKES OF THE UNITED STATES EAST OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER 119
23. KEY TO THE RATTLESNAKES OF THE UNITED STATES WEST OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER 119
24. KEY TO THE RATTLESNAKES OF MEXICO 127
25. KEY TO THE RATTLESNAKES OF BAJA (LOWER) CALIFORNIA, MEXICO 133
26. KEY TO THE RATTLESNAKES OF CENTRAL AND SOUTH AMERICA 135
27. KEY TO THE GENERA OF THE CROTALIDAE BASED ON EXTERNAL CHARACTERS 135
28. KEY TO THE GENERA OF THE CROTALIDAE BASED ON THE ADULT SKULL 136
29. KEY TO THE SPECIES OF THE GENERA CROTALUS AND SISTRURUS BASED ON THE ADULT SKULL 136
30. TABLES OF GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION 138
31. TABLES OF CHARACTER VARIATIONS 142
32. 3. PALEONTOLOGY, ZOOGEOGRAPHY AND PHYLOGENY
33. PALEONTOLOGY 146
34. ZOÖGEOGRAPHY AND PHYLOGENY 152
35. 4 . MORPHOLOGY
36. INTRODUCTION 171
37. LENGTH 172
38. BODY PROPORTIONS 182
39. PHYSIOLOGICAL SUMMARY 191
40. SQUAMATION 195
41. COLOR AND PATTERN 215
42. FREAKS AND ABERRANTS 225
43. 5. THE RATTLE
44. Historical 249
45. FUNCTION AND UTILIZATION 251
46. FORMATION AND STRUCTURE 277
47. DIMENSIONAL RELATIONSHIPS 304
48. 6. BODILY FUNCTIONS
49. INTRODUCTION 323
50. GROWTH AND LONGEVITY 324
51. LIFE PERSISTENCE AND FRAILTY 341
52. SKIN SHEDDING 350
53. LOCOMOTION 362
54. SENSES 382
55. 7. BEHAVIOR
56. TEMPORAL ACTIVITY AND LIMITATIONS 411
57. PHYSIOLOGICAL TEMPERATURE LIMITATIONS 414
58. TEMPORAL VARIATIONS IN HABITS 424
59. CLIMATE AND SIZE 448
60. DEFENSIVE AND WARNING BEHAVIOR 448
61. CLIMBING PROCLIVITIES 486
62. SWIMMING ABILITY 496
63. 8. POPULATIONS AND ECOLOGY
64. INTRODUCTION 505
65. RANGES 507
66. HABITAT PROPENSITIES 517
67. ISLAND HABITATS 555
68. POPULATION FACTORS 559
69. HIBERNATING DENS AND THEIR USES 573
70. AGGREGATION AND DISPERSAL 601
71. 9 . FOOD
72. INTRODUCTION 612
73. KINDS OF FOOD 612
74. SPECIES PREFERENCES 620
75. METHODS OF SECURING PREY 643
76. FOOD REQUIREMENTS 663
77. FEEDING RATTLESNAKES IN CAPTIVITY 675
78. 10. REPRODUCTION
79. SEXUAL CHARACTERISTICS 685
80. SEXUAL ACTIVITIES 700
81. FERTILITY 718
82. YOUNG RATTLESNAKES 729