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michael-ray — C. atrox
Published: 2011-10-02 02:03:37 +0000 UTC; Views: 568; Favourites: 23; Downloads: 22
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Crotalus atrox - Western diamondback - Southeast ArizonaRelated content
Comments: 8
Man, that is an impressive defensive posture. Looks like it lost some of its rattle.
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It difinitely lost a bit, but not more than 2 or 3 buttons at most. It's really common to find adults with broken rattle strings though.
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Do the rattles grow back after with the next shed or does that mean the end of the rattle growth if it is damaged?
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Once a button breaks off, that one's gone for good BUT a new button is added at the bottom every time a rattlesnake sheds it's skin throughout it's life. So, even if it breaks, the string will keep growning throughout it's life, even if it breaks on the very bottom button.
HOWEVER, if the tail gets broken off before the newly forming button and heals before it, that's it. I've found two crotes in my life that this has happened to, and they'll be rattleless their entire lives. A western diamondback in Arkansas and a Northern Pacific in Washington.
There is one more exception. Crotalus catalinensis - the Santa Catalina Island rattlesnake. It's rattle has evolved to become degenerate and therefore after each shed, the previous button just falls off, making it rattleless. It never has more than one button at any time, and therefore is never able to produce an auditory rattle.
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Huh, never heard of that last one, that's so cool. You are such an awesome source of information, thanks!
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