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My corn has turned into a Rattle snake !

Plums

Plums

New member
sorry posted in correct area now !

Recently Tu my male adult corn has been rattling his tail at me when I go to get him out. He had shed the day before he 1st did it so it wasnt that he wanted to be left alone because of that. Im not worried as nothing has changed, he is fine when I ignore him & get him out. He is just so placid really its strange for him

anyone know why they do this.. Does other peoples corns do it ?

Cheers
 
I have only had mine a week, 4ft Snow, but he does it from time to time. Most of the time, I just still reach in and get him. Cant let him know it bothers you.
 
Plums, I have a really mellow and gentle Florida King snake who is so sweet almost all the time, she alarmed me recently when she did the rattlesnake thing! I didn't sense that I was doing anything out of the ordinary, she just must have felt extra vulnerable for some reason I wasn't picking up. My Kisatchie has not done that, although he is generally much more resistant to being handled.
 
List of my rattlesnakes:

Big Jake: Rattles when I take him out and when he's in his feeding container and sometimes at the vet. Stops after a while. Rattled my ear once!

Lila: Rattles in her feeding container if I look at her or jostle it. Sounds like a June Bug. That's her nickname. Sometimes rattles right when I catch her.

Inez: Rattles the whole time she's being handled. If she stops- touching her tail sets her off again.

Choco: Rattles in his feeding container.

Zee: Rattles when he's pretty frightened- like at the vet. I _think_ he rattles when he's eating.

Maizey: I'd faint if she rattled.

Addy: Never rattles.

Nanci
 
Plums said:
anyone know why they do this.. Does other peoples corns do it ?
Click to expand...

It is quite common, but most common in smaller, younger corns. In nature, many types of snakes rattle their tail to mimic a more dangerous snake. For instance, a snake vibrating its tail in dry leaves sounds quite threatening to a potential predator. So to answer your question... it's a completely natural defense signal.
 
jmksnakes said:
It is quite common, but most common in smaller, younger corns. In nature, many types of snakes rattle their tail to mimic a more dangerous snake. For instance, a snake vibrating its tail in dry leaves sounds quite threatening to a potential predator. So to answer your question... it's a completely natural defense signal.
Click to expand...

Actually, as they evolved, many snakes rattled their tails to warn predators away. Rattlesnakes, because of their venom, evolved into big heavy relatively slow snakes. They didn't need to be able to run away and hide in their swampy or forested environments. When expanding their territory out into the prairies to hunt rodents and ground-nesting birds, they were in danger (of being stepped on, either accidentally or on purpose) from the large bison. The rattles on the tail evolved as an even louder warning to scare large animals away.

Nanci
 
Nanci said:
Actually, as they evolved, many snakes rattled their tails to warn predators away.
Nanci
Click to expand...

That's what I said... that what I meant anyway!! (shoulder shrug) Well put, Nanci, very informative.
 
I always wondered which came first, tail rattling or rattlesnakes, and found the answer in the EXCELLENT book Lonestar Field Guide To Snakes Of Florida. It's got the BEST chapter on snake evolution- totally worth the price of the book (which you can find for $7 used...) and an excellent section on venom, aside from being a great field guide with tons of color photos. Obviously, the snakes of Florida are found in many other places, too.

Nanci
 

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My snakes have cardboard box hides, so when they rattle it's a REALLY alarming sound. It's only happened a few times with my corns, but it always makes me jump. :grin01:
 
Only one of my corns rattles. Archimedes will rattle when being picked and especially when being put back in his cage, but he's fine while being held.

My 12 hatchlings have all rattled at me, most on a dayly (or when ever I feed them) basis. As said, it's a defense mechanism of sorts.
 
Thats weird, because my corn never does that! So now that all you have got rattlers it seems like a rarity to get a docile one (not saying that the rattlers aren't docile, just jumpy). Mine is about a month old I'd say and has never struck at his food, constricted or anything! Aw man that sucks, my corn is lazy!
 
Perry rattled at me, when I dropped a 1/2 of a coconut shell (his hide) on him. I felt so bad, I picked him up to make sure he was OK..he was. But, boy was he MAD!! It just slipped out of my hands. :sobstory:
 
Hehe, its a comon thing with all colubirds, my black rat snake used to do it all the time when I walk ver to his viv but he ment buisness though lol, my sunglow and king snake do the same thing they are just trying to ward you off.
 
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