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72527
I don't believe colubrids rattle to mimic rattlesnakes...this is why: Colubrids from other parts of the world do this too. Colubrids are older evoloutionarily (is this a word?) and so likely developed this behaviour long before there were any rattlesnakes. I think what happened is that rattlesnakes just evolved and developed rattles to enhance this behaviour a bit further. I also don't think any snake has the ability to reason and problem solve by watching other species. Almost everything is instinctive to them and I have never wittnessed one snake even remotely paying attention to what another snake is doing with the exception of some species getting defensive when kingsnakes are near. Apparently some snakes have learned the smell or whatever it is they taste in the air and know to avoid kingsnakes. Rattling seems to be more intense with snakes from the plains and other open grasslands. This would make sense due to the fact that there are or were at one time an abundance of non predator larged hooved grazing animals that the snakes cared not to be trampled by. Perhaps a little tail wag in the dry grass could allert a buffalo as to please step over and not on. Pitouphis snakes can rattle almost as loud as a rattlesnake even when there is no leaves or dry grass to rattle against. they whip the tail so fast it breaks the sound barrier and makes a series of small sonic cracks. When man came along....this worked agaisnt them as bullsnakes are keelscaled and marked a lot like many of the midwestern rattlesnakes and so were often mistaken for rattlers and killed.....they shoulda just laid still [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_smile.gif[/img] and still should. Even tame, well established snakes often prefer to be left alone when they are eating. They know that while swallowing, they are vulnerable to predation in that they can't bite with their mouth full and they can't crawl away at any great speed. So...alot will rattle while eating because this is what little defense they have left.
[addsig]
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