Bob Hoffman, age 14, of Eugene, Oreg

Where does the rattlesnake make his poison

The rattler has his own built‑in laboratory for making his deadly venom. He has two poison‑making glands in his lower jaw, one at the base of each needle‑sharp fang. The fangs are hollow and, working with the poison glands, they form a pair of deadly hypodermic needles.

When Mr. Rattler bites into a piece of rabbit, he presses the muscles at the base of the fangs. Venom is squeezed out from the glands into the hollow fangs and injected into the bunny. The deadly poison makes the rabbit unable to move while the hungry snake swallows him whole, head first.