Does the Canadian black rat snake have a rattle?

Question

Came across one of these while hiking. It made a sound like a rattle snake by shaking its tail and coiled up like a rattler to strike. A park officier told me the rattling noise was caused by the snake shaking its tail in dry leaves. Yeah right!

Answer 1

Actually, many snakes rattle their tails in dry leaves etc... as a warning.
However, contrary to popular belief, they are NOT mimicing rattlers. Vipers (including rattlesnakes) are relatively recent in terms of evolution, compared to colubrids (i.e. black rat and virtually all non-venomous North American snakes), so this instinctive behavior pre-dates rattlesnakes. Also, many snakes do this in places where rattlesnakes are not native (like Canada), so how could they be copying? In actual fact, this behavior has been a general warning method used by many snakes for quite a while. Rattlesnakes just advanced it to the next level.

Answer 2

Your Park Officer was correct. If what you saw was a Canadian rat snake, it did not have rattles, but rattled its tail in the dry grass or leaves to imitate the rattler, just as many other snakes do.
Close up pic>> http://wildwnc.org/af/images/blackratsnake1.jpg

Answer 3

No, black rat snakes don't have rattles. Only rattlesnakes do. It isn't uncommon for some species of snakes to vibrate their tail rapidly against leaves to make threats believe that they are more dangerous than they really are. Mimicry of venomous snakes is actually quite a common defense mechanism in some snakes. The hognose snake will do everything possible to make you think it's dangerous, except actually bite.

Answer 4

Black rat snakes and rattlesnakes do no longer, won't, and would possibly no longer circulate breed. different than the certainty that the two are snakes, they do no longer seem to be even remotely proper. What you heard became into an previous better halves tale it is repeated via ignorant those with a choose for drama. in case you insist on rejecting certainty and believing the "ranger" anyhow, it is your concern i think.

Answer 5

chetco above is right, the Park Officer told you correctly no black rat snake of any kind has rattle but they do "They coil their body and vibrate their tails in dead leaves to simulate a rattle."

Also they do "When threatened,... 'rattle' their tail, fooling other animals into believing they are venomous."

But that is their tail, not a Rattle.

Answer 6

only rattlesnakes have rattles..although other snakes will mimic rattlesnakes by shaking their tails. This is probably what this snake did.

Answer 7

There are no poisonous snakes in Canada, I am assuming the ranger wanted you to go home. The bush is dangerous.

Answer 8

only rattlesnakes have rattles

Answer 9

no but when threatened they can make the same kind of noise.

Answer 10

No