LADUC, T.J.: Effects of body size on the predatory strike of the western diamondback rattlesnake ( Crotalus atrox )

Changes in body size can be of particular importance to feeding mechanics, yet little information is available for allometric effects on terrestrial vertebrate feeding systems. The predatory strike of rattlesnakes, along with the great range of sizes exhibited both ontogenetically and interspecifically within this taxon, allows us to test whether changes in body size constrain the evolution of strike performance. Multiple strikes from ten western diamondback rattlesnakes ( Crotalus atrox ) of varying sizes were filmed using a high-speed video camera (1000 fps), and a diversity of speed, distance, and behavioral parameters were analyzed. Intraspecifically, smaller snakes are predicted to have higher maximum accelerations based on the allometry of force generation and body proportions. However, body scaling data indicate deviations from isometry in several body measurements, such as head volume.