Inside a rattlesnake’s rattle

What gives these reptiles their distinguishing sound?

Found in a wide range of habitats across North and South America, rattlesnakes add a vibratory rattling sound to the landscape. From afar this might sound relaxing, almost meditative, but it often indicates that you’re approaching danger. The rattlesnake shakes its rattle to warn off any animal it deems a threat, and it considers humans among these threats. When hunting for rodents and other food, the snakes can also use this rattle to distract animals before pouncing on them and making them their dinner.

Beyond its clattering chorus, this species of snake is equipped with toxic venom. However, rattlesnakes aren’t usually fatal to humans. If you are unfortunate enough to suffer a bite, your symptoms would include pain and swelling,but you might not need hospital treatement. Most of the time rattlesnakes won’t even release their venom when biting a human. This is because they don’t bite us with the aim of killing and eating us, but do it to scare us away.

These sounds are a good indication of their presence, but it is a misconception that all rattlesnakes make this noise. Young snakes, for example, have an underdeveloped rattle that lacks the two segments required to produce a noise. And while it might sound and look like a maraca being shaken, there are no loose objects inside the rattle to create this noise.