my son found a little snake by a creek we are not keeping it as a pet but he wants to watch it and see what he can learn about snakes its eating small bugs and all is well but i was told it was a baby rattle snake i dont think it is but safety first any sugestions on how to tell it has no rattles but i researched and babies do not.have no fear it will be released back where it was found but i thought this would be a good learning experience for son on spring break.
2007-03-22 06:29:13 · 6 answers · asked by patbgone 3 in Pets ➔ Reptiles
a Baby Rattler wont have a rattle yet, but it will have a Button on the end of the tail, a small bulb of hardened Scale. That's the best way to tell, but if your not sure I would be careful touching it, it will strike and its is just as dangerous as the adult and even worse, since baby rattlers venom can be concentrated and they have not learned to regulate how much is pumped into a wound when they bite. Do you live in an area that is know or common for Rattlers? Bull snakes, and Hog nose's are commonly mistaken for some species of baby rattlers. Bullnakes are often imitators of rattlers and will strike there tails in a quick rattle against vegetation to scare off enemies.
2007-03-22 06:38:08 · answer #1 · answered by I luv Pets 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Be very, very careful... A newly hatched rattle snake packs enough venom to do plenty of damage - and even though it is small, it can still find a place to sink in those teeth if you threaten it (especially on your hand) - the venom causes major tissue damage, so you really need to watch yourself.
Rattlesnakes get a new section of the rattle each time they shed successfully, each time a rattlesnake sheds, it gains one more "button" to its rattle. And babies are born with only one button that makes no noise when they try to "rattle" it. It takes 2-3 buttons at least before you hear any sort of buzz from it.
Rattlesnakes as babies look alot like kingsnakes. The only way to tell them apart really when their babies is by the eyes. The rattle snake has the usual slitted eyes, while the king has the round eyes.
Suggest you read:
http://www.desertmuseum.org/books/nhsd_rattlesnakes.php
2007-03-22 13:40:41 · answer #2 · answered by Lisa 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Here in Michigan we have water rattlers called water mocassins. The basic rule for touching snakes is, if it has stripes, it's ok, if it has diamonds it's NOT>
The real name for this snake? Massasauga. No wonder no one calls it that. But, this snake is poisonous, and young mocassins have very little control over how much venom they put out, making them more dangerous.
The young do NOT have rattles. They don't develope a rattle for a couple years, but they do develope a button after the first year.
The link below has a photo of this snake. If your snake has stripes, it's probably a garden snake. If not, check.
2007-03-22 15:02:43 · answer #3 · answered by Theresa A 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Rattlers, as far as I know, gain a segment to their rattle each time they shed their skin. So either it is not a rattler, or it has not shed yet. That being said, You might want to look up what types of snakes live in your area before you handle it, and if you're not positive, I'd say just put it back. Better safe than sorry.
2007-03-22 13:43:25 · answer #4 · answered by Deez 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
no its a queen snake they do that to mock the venimous ones
2007-03-22 20:04:28 · answer #5 · answered by josh h 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It sounds like a Copper-headed Rattler-Moccasin to me. I leave snakes alone and they leave me alone.
2007-03-22 13:39:46 · answer #6 · answered by marchhare57 7 · 2⤊ 2⤋