EASTERN DIAMONDBACK RATTLESNAKE: There's an old West African proverb that goes, "Speak softly and carry a big stick." Few snakes embody this saying like the eastern diamondback rattlesnake, the largest venomous snake in North America. Unlike its western counterpart, this snake is very shy and extremely passive, but packs an even deadlier punch. When hunting it remains perfectly still, coiled up in a clump of grass or leaves for days and even weeks at a time. All the while its heat-sensitive pits are tuned in to slight temperature changes. When a rodent or other prey wanders by, it strikes with incredible speed — up to 175 mph. Its fangs, normally folded against the roof of its mouth, spring forward and fill with venom. After the bite, the prey is quickly released and allowed to wander off and die. By "tasting" the air with its forked tongue, the snake locates the prey, which is swallowed whole and digested slowly over the course of several months.