# Do other snakes rattle? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 26, 2008, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-other-snakes-rattle/450661 "2008-05-26T15:59:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![WarmNPrickly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d78d45/32.png) [@WarmNPrickly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WarmNPrickly)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2008, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-other-snakes-rattle/450661/1 "2008-05-26T15:59:18Z")
We were walking my cat yesterday, and as we rounded the corner I saw what looked like an old piece of black rubber hose. It took me a second to realize that it was a pretty large snake. It was frozen, and fortunately my cat didn’t recognize it since snakes are a favorite play toy of his. (I think he thinks they are living shoelaces.) I live in southern Missouri and rattlesnakes aren’t very common here, but they do exist. I wasn’t terribly concerned though, because it was jet black and I don’t think rattlesnakes are that color. But when it slithered away, there was no question that it was rattling it’s tail. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2008, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-other-snakes-rattle/450661/2 "2008-05-26T16:01:43Z")
> [@](#): > > BLACK RACERS (Coluber constrictor) are skinny black snakes that grow from 3 to 6 feet long. They have white chins and are very fast. They come out during the day and hunt large bugs, frogs, lizards, mice, and birds. They can climb trees, but usually stay on the ground. If they are frightened, they rustle the tip of their tail in the leaves. It sounds like a rattlesnake and may scare you off. They are aggressive biters if you pick them up. From [here.](http://pelotes.jea.com/AnimalFact/Reptile/nvsnake.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2008, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-other-snakes-rattle/450661/3 "2008-05-26T16:58:49Z")
In addition to **beowulff** ’s cite, I’ll add that many, many non-venomous snakes will rattle their tails. Especially juveniles. In addition to racers, I’ve seen young copperheads, common kingsnakes, and gopher snakes do the same. I’d say it is extremely likely that rattlesnakes evolved to enhance an already pre-existing behavior. ---
**Author:** ![WarmNPrickly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d78d45/32.png) [@WarmNPrickly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WarmNPrickly)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2008, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-other-snakes-rattle/450661/4 "2008-05-26T18:19:53Z")
I can’t tell from [this cite](http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/UW251) if the black racer is usually in my neighborhood. If it was a black racer, it was a large one. I’d say it was about five feet long. It looked more like the rat snake, but that website doesn’t say anything about rattling. It was a pretty convincing rattle considering I didn’t see any evidence of an actual rattle on the tail. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2008, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-other-snakes-rattle/450661/5 "2008-05-26T18:24:07Z")
[QUOTE=WarmNPrickly] If it was a black racer, it was a large one. I’d say it was about five feet long. [/QUOTE] I have seen some very long black racers. That is not out of their size range. Oh, and the black racer pictured on that website is not a typical example. they’re usually jet black. That one looks grayish (oddly). [Here’s a more typical example](http://www.kentuckysnakes.org/snakes/blackracer-full.jpg). ---
**Author:** ![3acresandatruck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/3/e79b87/32.png) [@3acresandatruck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/3acresandatruck)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2008, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-other-snakes-rattle/450661/6 "2008-05-26T18:32:57Z")
[QUOTE=WarmNPrickly] I can’t tell from [this cite](http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/UW251) if the black racer is usually in my neighborhood. If it was a black racer, it was a large one. I’d say it was about five feet long. It looked more like the rat snake, but that website doesn’t say anything about rattling. It was a pretty convincing rattle considering I didn’t see any evidence of an actual rattle on the tail. [/QUOTE] Here’s a Missouri Department of Conservation website: [Snakes of Missouri](http://mdc.mo.gov/nathis/herpetol/snake/)