Complex maneuvers of kangaroo rat avoiding rattlesnake

High speed recording of sidewinder rattlesnake (Crotalus cerastes) striking at a desert kangaroo rat (Dipodomys deserti). The animals are free-ranging in their natural desert habitat at night, and filmed with high speed cameras using near-IR lights invisible to both species. The video is recorded at 500 frames per second, and playback is slowed down about 30 times. This clip illustrates some of the high-speed maneuvers desert kangaroo rats (Dipodomys deserti) can use when avoiding rattlesnake strikes (Crotalus cerastes). Rather than just simply leaping away, as we assumed before recording with high speed cameras, kangaroo rats can engage in a series of complex maneuvers. This individual flips onto its back, uses its hind legs to kick the snake away, then rights itself and leaps away. These dynamic movements show that kangaroo rats are not always responding with simple stereotyped startle reflexes to avoid snakes. This study is published in Whitford et al (2019, doi ). Find more details,