Hopefully you can see it in this short video. Turn your volume up.

I was checking some game cameras this morning and happened upon this Texas Rat Snake. Once I got within a foot or so of him/her...it became a bit worried and decided to go back into its hole.

I've seen Cottonmouths and Copperheads do the same thing. Racers will sometimes do this as well if/when they feel threatened.

Some say it is 'Batesian Mimicry'....but I am not sure I agree with that entirely. In this case....seeking to mimic a Rattlesnake (of which there are practically none in my area).

I think they just do it in response to feeling threatened and that the movement and noise attracts attention away from their head (the most vulnerable to attack) as the reptile begins to move off. But who knows.

That’s pretty cool

Yep, that would definitely get your attention and make you start looking.

Cool

Yep pretty dang cool

X5

Yes...if the snake were not in plain sight and your hearing is good/average. The tail vibrating on the dry leaves would probably get your attention if you live in Rattlesnake Country and are familiar with the sound. It's distinctly different than a rattlesnake's 'rattle' but close enough to make you look.

We have rattlesnakes where I live (Canebrake and Pygmy) but neither are common and only the Canebrake/Timber would be capable of making of a rattle anyway...and almost never do. As stated before....I am not fully convinced it is done to 'mimic' another snake, but some 'experts' say it is.

Anyway, just thought I'd share this event in case a person has never seen a snake do that before. It's very common for Cottonmouths and Copperheads to do it. I've never seen a Rat Snake do it before. Racers will do it also.

Might be a dumb question...
How do they know what a rattler sounds like ?
If thar none im area ta mimic ?

Cool vid...

Nature at it's finest

Great video. I have seen a handful of various snakes do that over the last 60's years. It gets your attention for sure when you hear them first...well back when I was younger and tinnitus was not an issue like it is today.

I had a snake collection for about ten years with as many as 40 bought or wild caught snakes, non venomous for the most part. I just had a fascination with them when I was younger. Eventually gave away or some died and finally gave all my cages and equipment to the local zoo. I had a lot of rat snakes, coachwhips and kingsnakes that would rattle their tails like that. Copperheads would also.

I have probably been bit by more species of snakes than anyone on the site, all non venomous, thank goodness. I will say this, the fastest striking snake of all the ones I had was by far was the sand boas. Every time I reached in to feed those guys, one would pop out from being covered in that sand like lightning and grab a finger. Ouch! Finally tongs only! Rat snakes were not particularly fast, but most had a bad disposition. I also noticed when snakes like rat or coachwhips bite you they invariably draw blood with those little backwards facing teeth and the bleeding seems to go on and on.

It's 'instinct'. They don't just suddenly 'learn it' (each individual from birth onward). Like baby sea turtles 'know' to go to the ocean once free from their eggs. Like mammals know from the moment of birth to 'suckle' mother's milk. Like Liberals know to vote for (never-mind)..............;)

Thousands of years of survival and evolution if you believe the 'Batesian Mimicry' theory. But I'm not fully convinced that is why certain snakes do the tail vibrating thing (mimic).



But even IF that is the reason this snake did it....someone should tell him there are hardly any rattlesnakes around here and that mimicking a Spam Caller would get him ignored faster. IDK....all I can do is share what I witnessed.

Yep, little needle like teeth.

I've been bitten by more Water Snakes than any other type. Banded and Diamondback Water Snakes seem to want to bite a lot.

Every 'Racer' I've caught tried to (or did) bite me. A Broadheaded Skink will bite you EVERY time, I'd be my life on it.

Just part of catching/handling reptiles. Sooner or later your gonna get tagged.