Can I Determine the Age of a Rattlesnake?īecause rattlesnakes grow a new rattle with each and every shedding of their skin, some people think that you can tell the age of a rattlesnake simply by counting how many rattles it has on its tail. Depending on where you are, the rattlesnakes you will see will have very different appearances and strategies that allow them to fit into their environment. They live in all sorts of habitats and have adapted to fill the unique demands of each place. Rattlesnakes can be found in many different regions and areas around the country. From the diamondback to the pygmy, the different markings on a rattlesnake allow it to blend in wonderfully with the environment where it hunts. Each species of rattlesnake is highly specialized to the environment where it lives. In fact, rattlesnakes are considered to be the most evolutionarily advanced of all snakes. These unique hollow scales are evidence that the rattlesnake is highly evolved. These hollow scales are loosely connected in such a way that when the rattlesnake shakes its tail rapidly, the tail scales shake and knock against one another to make the recognizable rattling sound. While some people think that these rattles contain pebbles or other hard objects that shake against the rattle, these rattles are actually just a different form of scale- one that is hollow. When a rattlesnake sheds their outer skin, the new layer always contains another rattle for the snake’s tail. To shed their skin, they must peel it back and cast it off so the new layer of skin can replace it. That is why snakes must shed their skin as they grow larger. Unlike humans, who shed their skin little by little as new skin is grown, snakes have an underlying layer of skin called the corneal layer, which does not grow. Their skin is made up of scales that are flexible and strong. Snakes, especially rattlesnakes, have evolved a skin that not only protects them but also helps to camouflage them. Here’s everything that there is to know about a rattlesnake’s rattle. I have put some information together to help you better understand what makes these things rattle and how they grow. But, they don’t shed at a regular rate, so you cannot completely tell how old a rattlesnake is from its rattle.Įven though it is very difficult to determine the age of a rattlesnake based on the length of its rattle, there is a lot we can learn when we understand how rattlesnakes’ rattles work. Rattlesnakes grow a new rattle segment every time they shed their skin. But how old is a rattlesnake with 3 rattles?Īs a general rule, a rattlesnake with 3 segments on its rattle is approximately 1 year old. These rattles vary in length, color, and a new rattle segment gets added with each new layer of skin that the rattlesnake sheds. Rattlesnakes get their name from the distinctive rattles on the ends of their tails.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |