What makes a rattlesnake's rattle...rattle?

The sound of a rattler's raspy buzz fills most hikers with dread -- and for good reason. Rattlesnakes, who belong to the pit viper family, are known for beating the pointy tips of their tails against the ground to ward off enemies.

A rattlesnake baby is born with what's called a "pre-button" at the end of its tail. When the rattlesnake sheds its skin (which happens about 10 days after birth and every few months thereafter), the skin gets caught on the pre-button and a button is formed. At the second shed, the first segment is formed and can now rattle slightly against the button. Each time the snake sheds, a new segment is added and the rattle gets longer and louder. The segments knocking against each other create the sound and allow a rattlesnake to rattle its tail in the air rather than beat it against the ground.

The rattle can be loud: its frequency can peak at 5,000 to 8,000 hertz (which is roughly equivalent to an ambulance siren) and at a loudness of 60-80 decibels from a distance of one meter.

However, as a rattlesnake gets older, the outer segments of the rattle sometimes become brittle and fall off. That's why you can never tell the age of a snake by the size of its rattle. Not that you were eager to examine them up close anyway.

History of Snakes

Snakes are the most modern of reptiles, first appearing in the fossil record during the time of the dinosaurs. It is thought that they evolved from ground dwelling or burrowing lizards that exploited the survival advantages to be found in a cylindrical, legless body. They gave up external ears and developed clear scales to shield their ever-open eyes from dust and damage. They evolved elongated internal organs, specialized muscles and resilient, scaled skins of varied pattern and color that provided camouflage and some limited protection from predators and the elements. They also evolved a host of instinctive behaviors that enabled them to find and catch prey, hide from predators, reproduce and survive in a great variety of climates. Tunnelling beneath dirt and sand, swimming in the seas, climbing in the crowns of trees and crawling on the land, snakes became integral components of varied ecosystems throughout the world. Some evolved infrared heat sensors to find prey in the darkness of night or burrow. Some developed venoms (and the apparatus to deliver them) of such exquisite complexity and design that - unlike most biochemical substances - they cannot yet be manufactured through biotechnology or genetic engineering. In short, snakes are incredibly successful, unique and remarkable animals, well deserving of our respect and admiration.

Why, then, do so many people burden themselves with an irrational, senseless fear of snakes and an unwarranted prejudice toward them? The answer lies in the power and longevity of myth.

For centuries, snakes have figured prominently in the religions, customs and folklore of people throughout the world. To early humans, snakes must have possessed seemingly magical, almost supernatural attributes. They had the ability to move without legs over and through all types of terrain, vegetation and water. They had the ability to find, capture and eat prey without the aid of appendages, as well as to periodically shed an old skin and the ravages of time to reveal a new, brightly hued mantle. They could arise in the spring, resurrected from the ice of winter, and, in a few cases, could cause sickness or death with a single bite. A science fiction writer could scarcely ask for a better model, so it is not surprising that snakes gave rise to all manner of tall tales and myths.

The fear of snakes is an old, deeply entrenched form of prejudice, born of ignorance and perpetuated through superstition and myth. It is time that we stop judging these fascinating reptiles on the basis of folklore and ignorance.

Worl'ds Most Deadliest Snakes

01. Name : Inland Taipan Or Fierce Snake - Oxyuranus MicrolepidotusSize : To 2MDistribution : Central AustraliaHabitat : Dry Plains And GrasslandsFood : Frogs , Small MammalsBreeding : Egg-LayingAppearance : Brown Or Olive Colors , Black Markings On The Head Or Uniformly Black Head
02.Name : King Brown Snake - Pseudechis AustralisSize : To 2MDistribution : Whole AustraliaHabitat : Forests To DesertsFood : Frogs , Small MammalsBreeding : Live-BearingAppearance : Dark Reddish To Brown Colors , The Colors Become Paler On The Sides And Undersides
03. Name : Taipan - Oxyuranus ScutellatusSize : To 2MDistribution : NE And Extreme North Australia , New GuineaHabitat : Forests , Open WoodlandsFood : Small MammalsBreeding : Egg-LayingAppearance : Lightly Keeled Scales , Light Or Dark Brown Fading To A Paler Shade On The Sides And Underside . Head Is Usually Lighter In Color
05. And 04. Name : Mainland & Eastern Tiger SnakeSize : To 2MDistribution : AustraliaHabitat : Forests , Open GrasslandsFood : Small Mammals , BirdsBreeding : Live-BearingAppearance : These 2 Tiger Snake Species Are World's Most Venomous Tiger Snakes
06. Name : Sea Kraits - Laticauda ColubrinaSize : To 2MDistribution : NE AustraliaHabitat : A Marine SpeciesFood : Fish , EelsBreeding : EggAppearance : Wide Head , Some Species With Bands
07. Name : Tiger Snake - Notechis ScutatusSize : To 1.2MDistribution : Australia : The Eastern Side Of AustraliaHabitat : Forests , Open GrasslandsFood : FrogsBreeding : Live-Bearing , Usually 30 At OnetimeAppearance : It Can Be Olive Or Even Reddish And Usually Has A Series Of Lighter Cross bands , It Flattens Its Neck When It Is Angry
08. Name : Black Tiger Snake - Notechis AterSize : To 1.2MDistribution : Australia : Tasmania , Islands In The Bass StraitHabitat : Rocky Places , Dunes , Beaches , Tussock GrassFood : Small Mammals , Frogs , Seabird ChicksBreeding : Live-BearingAppearance : Large Body , Usually Black Sometimes Has Traces Of Lighter Cross bands , When Alarmed It May Spread Its Neck
09. Name : Death Adder - Acanthophis AntarcticusSize : To 40-50CmDistribution : Most Of Australia Except Central Desert RegionHabitat : Dry , Rocky , Or Scrubby PlacesFood : Small Mammals , Birds And Reptiles , It Uses The Tip Of Its Tail To Lure The Prey To Within Striking DistanceBreeding : Live-BearingAppearance : Broad , Triangular Head , Short Tail , Colors Grey To Brown Or Red , It Has A Number Of Irregular Cross bands Over The Body
10. Name : Western Brown Snake - Pseudonaja NuchalisSize : To 1.5MDistribution : Most Of Australia Except Extreme SW And SeHabitat : From Forests To Grasslands , Gravelly Plains And DesertsFood : Small Mammals And ReptilesBreeding : Egg-LayingAppearance : Narrow Black Head And Black Neck Or Many Narrow Dark Crossbars , Colors Light Brown To Black Or May Have A Series Of Lighter Bands Around The Body