Ok. I heard this one again this morning:
"In the last ten years rattlesnakes have quit rattling." Some are attributing this to the rattlesnake's hereditary response to predation by feral hogs....
Folks, don't fall for this one. Facts:
1). Rattlesnakes have always had predators, including man.
2) Rattlesnakes order of defense is and has always been:
a) camouflage; rattlesnakes blend in perfectly to their environment and they know that.
b) escape; slipping into a hole or cover.
c) rattling; the last thing a rattlesnake wants to do is give away its biggest "weapon" - camouflage - by rattling. Anyway, it has long been theorized that rattling is actually an adaptation to warn the large grazing animals from stepping on it - NOT TO WARN PREDATORS!
Even where there our no pigs (yet!), radio-tracking studies show that the prairie rattlesnake, which is quicker to anger than the diamondback, relies on camouflage and escape before rattling. A certain researcher in the Panhandle will tell you, "99.9% of our rattlesnakes carrying radio transmitters will allow you to walk up, take a G.P.S. reading directly on top of him/her, and walk away, without even a tongue flick, let alone a round of rattling." "And I use to assume that prairie rattlers always warned you."
Why people will make up stuff......I just don't understand. Trust me on this one! Laugh at it when someone tells you this one!
Wouldnt that mean they would have to change their name?
ReplyDelete:) That's right!
ReplyDelete