第 0528 號，共 1 402 號

Tiger rattlesnake

Crotalus tigris

名字的由來： The Latin name tigris means 'tiger', because its many narrow crossbands look like vertical stripes when seen from the side.1

需要看醫生很少致命，但被咬了需要看醫生。

響尾蛇

咬吃：肉

對人的危險: 嚴重被咬了需要看醫生。死亡案例非常罕見。

The tiger rattlesnake is a small rattlesnake with a very venomous bite. It lives in the deserts and rocky hills of the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico. Its venom is among the most toxic of any rattlesnake, so it is important to recognise it and give the right first aid after a bite.1

分布在

Southwestern United States (central and south-central Arizona) and northwestern Mexico (southern Sonora)1

北美洲

首頁

It lives in rocky desert canyons, foothills and bajadas (gently sloping areas at the base of mountains), and it can be found from sea level up to about 1,465 m. In southeastern Arizona it stays in rocky areas in winter and spring, and in summer it uses the edges of dry stream channels. It is mostly ground-dwelling but may climb into low vegetation.1

長度

46 cm 到 91 cm (1,5 ft 到 3 ft)1

體重

454 g (1 lb)1

最高速度

大約 3,5 km/h（2,2 mph）

在陸地上, 粗略估計

牠吃什麼？

It mainly eats rodents and also eats lizards. It ambushes much of its prey and also actively hunts small rodents and lizards. Young snakes rely more on lizards, and adults depend more on rodents. It can also eat fairly large prey, such as pocket mice, kangaroo rats, deer mice, packrats and spiny lizards.1

Tiger rattlesnake 的照片 — Tiger rattlesnake。照片：Ltshears。 CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons.

怎麼認出牠

It has a small, spade-shaped head. It is the smallest head of any rattlesnake, and it is about 1/25 of its total body length.1
It has 35 to 52 narrow gray, olive or brown crossbands along the back. These are the only crossbands on the front part of a rattlesnake's body, and they can look like vertical stripes from the side.1
The ground colour is gray, lavender, blue-gray, pink or buff, and it often turns pink, pale orange or cream on the sides.1
A dark cheek strip is the most distinct mark on the head.1
It has a large rattle.1

毒液力量

咬

咬的時候，毒液會從毒牙或牙齒出來。

牠的毒液有什麼作用？

Its venom contains a myotoxin, which damages muscle tissue and can cause muscle necrosis (death of muscle cells). It also contains a neurotoxin, which attacks the nerves and is similar to Mojave toxin. In recorded human bites, there was little local pain or swelling, and no significant whole-body (systemic) symptoms.1

牠對人有多危險？

對人的危險: 嚴重被咬了需要看醫生。死亡案例非常罕見。

Human bites by this snake are infrequent, and few cases have been recorded. Its venom is very toxic, but its low venom yield and short fangs probably prevent severe envenoming in adults. The clinical picture could be much more serious for children or for people of slight build.1

好消息：醫生有藥（抗毒血清）或治療方法。1

牠害怕時會做什麼？

If disturbed, it rapidly shakes its rattle and may strike in defence, and it has an irascible (easily angered) temperament.1

如果牠咬人

Early use of antivenom is important if significant envenoming is suspected. Get medical help straight away after any bite, even if the bite seems mild.1
讓傷者保持不動和冷靜，讓被咬的手臂或腿保持在和心臟一樣的高度，取下戒指和緊身的東西，並趕快送醫院。

一定要先打緊急電話（112、000、911）。這是一般急救指引，不是醫療建議。急救基本知識

注意安全

絕對不要碰、抓或捉弄野生動物，就算是很小的動物，就算牠看起來在睡覺或已經死了也一樣。
給牠空間。如果遇到了，保持冷靜，慢慢往後退，讓牠自己離開。
如果被牠咬了：保持冷靜，保持不動，打緊急電話（112、000、911）或趕快去醫院。記住牠的樣子，有照片會很有幫助。

牠不是想來抓你。牠用毒液來捕捉食物或保護自己，而且牠更想躲起來。更多安全知識

在世界上的哪裡？

非洲亞洲歐洲北美洲南美洲澳洲與大洋洲

牠有多大？

牠有多長？

牠有多重？

跟 4 根香蕉一樣重

跟 2 隻家貓從鼻子接到尾巴一樣長跟 5 根香蕉頭尾相接一樣長可以在 100 秒內跑完 100 公尺（最快的人類需要 9.6 秒）

Tiger rattlesnake 跟「你」比起來有多大？

只是在你的瀏覽器裡做算術。什麼都不會儲存，也不會傳送到任何地方。

牠有多快？

一隻陸龜 大約 0,3 km/h (0,19 mph)

Tiger rattlesnake 大約 3,5 km/h (2,2 mph)

一個正在走路的人 大約 5 km/h (3,1 mph)

值得知道

小知識

Its venom yield is small, but its toxicity is considered second highest of all rattlesnake venoms, after the Mojave rattlesnake.1

It has the smallest head of any rattlesnake, which helps it reach into small crevices to pull out prey that has crawled into them.1

Although it is a ground-dweller, it swims readily and has been found in bushes about 60 cm above the ground.1

Rattlesnake venom is used in biomedical research into neurological diseases.1

It is nocturnal during the hot summer, but becomes active during the day and at dusk in the autumn.1

破解迷思

迷思： Its small head and short fangs mean its bite is harmless.

真相： Its venom is very toxic. Its small size and low venom yield probably prevent severe harm in adults, but children and slightly built people could be seriously affected.1

給毒液專家

學名: Crotalus tigris
類群: 響尾蛇
家人: Viperidae2
排序: Squamata
各大洲: 北美洲
寶寶: It gives birth to live young, with an average litter of five. The young develop inside eggs in a thin sac in the mother's body, and they are well developed at birth.1
牠在野外的狀況: Least Concern1
對人的危險: 3 / 5: 嚴重3