Rattlesnakes: Myths Part 2

Ten Things I Like About... Podcast

Summary: There are sooo many myths about rattlesnakes that Kiersten had to do a second episode! Join Kiersten as she dispels more myths about rattlesnakes.

For my hearing impaired listeners, a complete transcript of this podcast follows the show notes on Podbean

Show Notes:

Rattlesnake: Portrait of a Predator by Manny Russo

America’s Snake: The Rise and Fall of the Timber Rattlesnake by Ted Levin

Music written and performed by Katherine Camp

Transcript

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Kiersten - This is Ten Things I Like About…a ten minute, ten episode podcast about unknown or misunderstood wildlife.

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Welcome to Ten Things I Like About… I’m Kiersten, your host, and this is a podcast about misunderstood or unknown creatures in nature. Some we’ll find right out side our doors and some are continents away but all are fascinating.

This podcast will focus ten, ten minute episodes on different animals and their amazing characteristics. Please join me on this extraordinary journey, you won’t regret it.

This episode continues rattlesnakes. We’re going to do one more episode about myths because there are so many about rattlesnakes and dispelling myths about this misunderstood animal in the ninth thing I like about them.

Here’s a myth that even NPR ran a story about, so this is a great one to kick off this episode.

Myth #9: Rattlesnakes are evolving to not use their rattle before striking.

Completely untrue. Rattlesnakes still use their rattles to warn predators away. I know people have encountered rattlesnakes and never heard the rattle before they were very close to the snake. Some of those encounters ended with a bite or strike, and many have not. We have to remember the first way a snake protects itself is to be still and hide. They only break cover when they feel they are in imminent danger. Sometimes a human approaching is not enough danger to cause a rattle reaction. Maybe you’ve caught the snake off guard, they do sleep, and they didn’t notice you until it was too late for a warning rattle. There could be plenty of other explanations, but rest assured, rattlesnakes are still using their rattles.

Myth #10: Rattlesnakes can jump ten feet in the air!

This is 150% not true! Snakes cannot jump from the ground into the air. They physically cannot jump. They have no legs, they cannot tip back onto their tails and pop up like a spring, they cannot leap from a ledge to bite your face. It may work in the cartoons and in movies, but not in reality.

Myth #11: Rattlesnakes use their rattles to mesmerize their prey.

Nope! As I discussed in the pervious episode about rattles, rattlesnakes use their rattle to warn away predators. It does seem a bit counterintuitive to make noise to warn a predator of your location, because you are also exposing yourself to that predator, but the rewards outweigh the risks. They get to survive another day if they make the rattle noise and scare off the predator or the bison or horse that was just about to step on them.

Myth #12: If you see one rattlesnake, there will be more waiting to get you when you leave.

We need to break this one down. First of all, rattlesnakes are never out to get you. They do not hunt humans or aggressively pursue humans. They really don’t want to be around us at all. Secondly. Most of the time when you see one rattlesnake, they are alone. During certain times of the year, they are mating; therefore, you may encounter more than one at a time. In certain areas of North America, namely the eastern regions, during winter, rattlesnakes will hibernate together. Then you might encounter several when they are leaving their hibernaculum in the warming weather of spring. The important thing to remember here, is that they are never chasing you or corralling you to attack.

Myth #13: Rattlesnake use their rattles to attract mates.

As romantic as this sounds, it’s completely false. There is no evidence that male rattlesnakes use their rattle to attract mates. As stated before, rattles are for protective warnings.

Myth #14: A rattlesnake bite can kill you!

Unless you are allergic to their venom and have an anaphylactic reaction, you most likely will survive. Get medical treatment as soon as possible and your likelihood of surviving is very high. Antivenom is available at most hospitals and can be administered quickly.

Not all rattlesnake bites are venomous. Dry bites can happen which means the snake bites but does not inject venom. We’re not exactly sure why this happens, but the rattlesnake does control when it injects venom and when it doesn’t.

Myth #15: Rattlesnakes LOVE heat!

This one is tricky, but it’s essentially a no. Snakes are ectotherms, which means they do not control their own body temperature. Mammals and birds produce their own body heat. Reptiles cannot do that. They depend on the temperature of the environment around them to warm or cool their body. If it is too cold they cannot move around or digest their food. So reptiles are more active in warmer weather and do sun themselves on sunny days to heat themselves up so they can function. But, when it is 100 degrees F outside, they do the same thing we do, hide in the shade and try to keep themselves cool! So no, snakes do not love the heat!

Myth #16: The only good rattlesnake is a dead rattlesnake!

Definitely no! Rattlesnakes, and snakes in general, offer an important ecological service to the world. They eat rodents that we don’t want to be in our homes. They keep mouse and rat populations in check. It’s especially important in suburban areas where we’re encroaching on the wild areas where animals still live. We attract rodents with our waste. The rodents can pass us diseases. Snakes eat the rodents before they can overpopulate an area. So snakes are good to have around your yard. Remember they don’t want to hang around us, but they don’t mind coming in for a snack every once in awhile.

Myth #17: Rattlesnakes are slimy!

This is one that also applies to all snakes and is literally my biggest pet peeve when it comes to snake myths! Snakes are not slimy. They do not produce mucus on the outside of their bodies. Snakes are actually dry and often soft. Depending on the species they will have flat scales or keeled scales. Both scale types will reflect light and that’s what makes the snake look wet or slimy. They are shiny not slimy. Snakes’ scales actually feel a lot like a basketball.

Myth #18: Last but not least, the myth that the fear of rattlesnakes is instinctual. Humans have a fear of rattlesnakes because it helps keep us alive.

No. We fear snakes because we learn to fear them, usually from the adults in our life when we are children. We are not born with any instinctual fear of rattlesnakes. Our fears come from these myths and misunderstanding these amazing animals. I can attest to this personally. As a child my mother was terrified of snakes. She couldn't even watch nature programs on television with snakes, but I grew up without this fear because she made sure that she kept that behavior hidden from me. I didn’t know she was afraid of snakes until I was in high school, and I never developed a fear of snakes. When I became a zookeeper and worked hands on with all different species of snakes, I was able to help my mother overcome her fear by sharing the information I learned about these reptiles. They are not her favorite animal, but she doesn’t fear them anymore.

That’s it for this myth busting episode of rattlesnakes. I hope this helps some of you travel down the path of banishing your fear of these reptiles, because dispelling myths about rattlesnakes is my ninth favorite thing.

If you're enjoying this podcast please recommend me to friends and family and take a moment to give me a rating on whatever platform your listening. It will help me reach more listeners and give the animals I talk about an even better chance at change.

Join me next week for the final episode about rattlesnakes.

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This has been an episode of Ten Things I like About with Kiersten and Company. Original music written and performed by Katherine Camp, piano extraordinaire.