rattlesnake
n.a type of snake that lives in North and South America. It has a special part on its tail that makes a loud noise when it moves.
n.any of various venomous snakes of the genus Crotalus, characterized by a rattle on the end of the tail. Found primarily in the Americas, these snakes use the rattle as a warning signal to potential predators.
“The hiker saw a rattlesnake hiding in the tall grass.”
“When the campers heard the sound of a rattlesnake, they immediately moved away from the trail.”
“The rattlesnake's venom contains a complex mixture of enzymes and proteins that can cause severe tissue damage if not treated with an antiserum within hours of the bite.”
“Here, heat, thirst or flood are the biggest dangers, not the resident mountain lions, rattlesnakes or scorpions.”
“I tracked her down to the high desert in the western US - rattlesnake country.”
From rattle + snake.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.