Unpredictable aggressive defence of the venomous snake, Crotalus ravus, towards predators and humans.

Antipredation behaviour is of high importance for the survival of prey animals, but it is also vital for the predator to understand the antipredator behaviour of potentially dangerous prey. Venomous snakes are particularly dangerous for their predators and humans, as a defensive bite may result in death. Here we studied the behavioural response of the Mexican pigmy rattlesnake Crotalus ravus to the approach of simulated predators (birds and fox) and human, contrasting this to their predatory behaviour.