Talk:Crotalus scutulatus
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[edit] Links to interesting information
I'm saving some links for myself or others that lead to interesting external articles on this subject.
Great article on rattler venom Identify a mojave --NationalPark 07:12, 8 April 2007 (UTC)
- The first link is interesting, but that information belongs in the snake venom article; we already mention type A and B Mojave venoms. The second links contains information that is mostly is already in this article, although it does contain some nice images; I'll add it to the external links. --Jwinius 12:07, 8 April 2007 (UTC)
[edit] Article expansion
I've added the initial framework of a larger (though not much larger) article. Much of what is interesting about this rattlesnake is common to all rattlesnakes -- how much of such information should be repeated here? Perhaps a template for rattlesnakes that can be used in all rattlesnake articles? --Bad carpet 16:49, 11 December 2005 (UTC)
[edit] Aggressive disposition
This was added to the article and I removed it : "They are extremely agressive and extremley territorial."
Some personal accounts of the Mojave rattler depict it as a more aggressive snake than other rattlers, however in 'scientific' literature this is either not mentioned or is contradicted. Without real substance I think we should leave this subjective description out. That said -- it would be interesting to know if one of the deadliest snakes in NA really is also one of the meanest or if it is just legend. --Bad carpet 18:37, 13 December 2005 (UTC)
I have personally kept a Mojave (in fact I uploaded the current photo, it's my snake pictured), and the reputation appears to be deserved. Nevertheless, you are correct that behavioral traits like aggressiveness in snakes are largely just anecdotal evidence, I've certainly not conducted a study on the relative aggression of Mojaves compared to other rattlers. As such it deserves no more than a qualified mention, if that. 03/05/06 Lvthn13
Betcha' aggressiveness can be directly correlated to the ambient temperature at the time of the meeting between venemous reptile and the hairless ape known as homo sapiens sapiens. Well, harless IS a subjective term since humans have lotsa' hair but the "hairless ape" term is used as a comparison to other primates who, in comparison to us human critters, are definitely hirsuite and need of a haircut and a shave.Obbop 23:56, 23 November 2006 (UTC)
[edit] Toxin
Removed this addition from general description "That is because Mojave rattlesnakes have a nuerotoxin instead of a hemotoxin. Nuerotoxin goes straight to the nervous system and quickly kills the prey whereas hemotoxin poisons the bloodstream and takes a while to kill the prey."
This presence of neurotoxin is covered in the toxin section of the article. What isn't included are the effects of neurotoxin (I'd decided not to include effects since they can be found at referenced links hemotoxin and neurotoxin however if it would add to the article to describe impacts of evenomation, maybe we should put it in. --Bad carpet 18:42, 13 December 2005 (UTC)
[edit] Evolution
Something I myself considered, and discussed with a professional in the field, is the Grenard article concerning the evolution of neurotoxins in rattlesnake venom. It is my opinion, but more authoritatively his, that this article presents what amounts to bunk science. While it is theoretically "relevant" to this entry (C. scutulatus), it should perhaps be considered for removal on the basis of misleading information. Evolution does not occur nearly as quickly as Mr. Grenard seems to imply it can, and there are no verifiable mechanisms to justify the course of evolution he suggests. Said professional's opinion is that rattlesnake venom has simply been inadequately studied, and the emerging discovery of neurotoxins in the typically hemotoxic crotalines is perhaps more symptomatic of our failure to take notice of them before, due to inadequate research. - Lvthn13
- Agreed. Removed reference. --Bad carpet 19:54, 28 August 2006 (UTC)
[edit] "Illuminesent" coloration?
Today, I removed the following unsourced statement that had been added to the description section by someone without an account (12.0.250.190):
"The mohave greens emitt an illuminesent green-gold color only during the brightest times of the day that does not cross over to film and photography well, they loose this coloration when the sunlight fades in the afternoon. From dusk to the mid morning they resemble the western diamondback in apearence. The brown mohaves have the same stunning illuminessant glow at the same times of the day but have a brilliant yellow-gold glitter. There is no other animal in the animal kingdom that rivals their beauty when "lit up" durring a bright sunny day. They can easily be seen from seventy five to a hundred yards away in the sunlight, they are that bright."
Judging from the way this was written, it sounds to me like something that was said on a TV show. I actually looked into the subject of flourescense last month. In my 1997 edition of Klauber's Rattlesnakes, he states that Atkins (1948) reports that rattlesnakes and copperheads flouresce a bright green under ultraviolet light. Unfortunately, Klauber himself could not confirm this. He tested a number of rattlesnake subspecies, including ruber, helleri, lutosus, cerastes and lateropens, but could detect no flourescense. Only the rattles had a slight flourescense, which was usually yellowish. Also, he found that the fangs flouresced brightly, with a light-green color. Klauber may not have tested scutulatus, but since Campbell and Lamar (2004) don't mention anything about flourescense in this species, I remain skeptical about the 12.0.250.190's statement unless it can be backed up by a reliable reference (not just a link to a website). --Jwinius 09:56, 24 July 2007 (UTC)
