Jumper's secret weapon: how a tiny animal confronts a rattlesnake

Small rodents are in an unenviable position, as they are defenseless against dangerous predators. Such animals, as a rule, are located on the lower steps of the food pyramid and cannot stand up for themselves. But do not rush to sympathize with all small animals, since among them there are very bold species that can protect themselves even from rattlesnakes.

Deserted kangaroo jumpers do not live in Australia like kangaroos, which they look like with their strong hind legs, but in the desert regions of North America. These are small animals that feed on grains of cereal grasses and lead a nocturnal lifestyle. In the desert, when during the day it is simply impossible to move around the burning sand, and the moisture reserves in the body rapidly evaporate, these animals hide under the ground. They have a safe haven - a deep hole protected from temperature and humidity. In the home of jumpers there is always a comfortable temperature at plus 20 degrees, and humidity does not fall below 60%. But no matter how good the hole, rodents need to go to the surface in order to find food for themselves.

With the onset of dusk, the desert comes to life, and not only kangaroo jumpers come out of their shelter, but also their main enemies - rattlesnakes. But jumpers for many years living in the desert managed to adapt not only to its unbearable climate, but also to local predators. As scientists managed to find out, small rodents are not only not afraid of snakes, but also actively defend their territory, sometimes the first to engage in battle. Well, if the snake decides to hunt down the jumper and attack from an ambush, then here it has practically no chance, since the animal has a truly incredible reaction speed.

The snake can wait hours for its prey and at the right moment makes a jump. A lightning attack, it would seem, leaves the victim no chance. But our hero jumps into the air with such dexterity and fights off the predator with powerful hind legs, so that the snake as a result remains without a hearty dinner. Scientists analyzed the footage from several surveillance cameras, and it turned out that in the vast majority of cases, the jumper managed to avoid a bite, and the percentage of successful snake attacks was extremely low.