One way some rattlesnakes species have adapted to survive in hot, dry desert climates is though an ability to absorb or “harvest” rain, sleet and even snow. Researchers, including Konrad Rykaczewski, a Fulton Schools associate professor of mechanical engineering, have found the snakes coil themselves in ways that most effectively expose their skins to precipitation. Through nanoscale-sized features of the texture of their skins, these rattlers are able to capture water in a labyrinthine network of tiny channels from which they can imbibe the moisture. The ability enables the snakes to take advantage of a source of water with minimal use of energy or risk. The report on the study is published in the American Chemical Society’s ACS Omega research journal.