Rattlesnake constantly rattles?

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Bryan Hamilton
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Rattlesnake constantly rattles?

Post by Bryan Hamilton »

I have a Great Basin rattlesnakes that constantly rattles. Its only happened recently and it seems involuntary. He still rattles defensively when I get him out of his cage to clean or water.

Has anyone every seen this? Could it have been caused by an injury? Maybe its hormonal change?
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Bryan Hamilton
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Re: Rattlesnake constantly rattles?

Post by Bryan Hamilton »

I've had him since he was born in 2007. This doesn't seem to be intentional rattling towards a stimulus. He still rattles defensively. Its more a of a constant, almost involuntary rattling. It has only started since I took him out of hibernation and I have also move the cage position.

I hope it goes away. Its really annoying and seem uncomfortable for the snake....

Thanks for the response.
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soulsurvivor
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Re: Rattlesnake constantly rattles?

Post by soulsurvivor »

Maybe he has Parkinsons.
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Bryan Hamilton
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Re: Rattlesnake constantly rattles?

Post by Bryan Hamilton »

soulsurvivor wrote:Maybe he has Parkinsons.
It almost reminds me of Parkinsons. Its a different kind of rattling. If I didn't share a room with him it would be easier to ignore.
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Kelly Mc
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Re: Rattlesnake constantly rattles?

Post by Kelly Mc »

That must be hard. Not so much that it is irritating but that it would read to you as distress, whether physical malady or some dysphoric affect.

It would be hard to hear in one you have cared for so long.

I wonder if he will still do it after he has a few meals.

I don't know enough about crotes, or any specific disorders that would cause that, and a tremor isolated caudally (*not to be confused w/ a vibrate) isn't reminiscent of any thing I have ever seen in boids or colubrids.

I hope it passes, or is something that can be changed. I don't have a lot of experience with crotes but I did take a rescue that was very frightened and had an Almost continual low grade hum but it didn't sound involuntary.
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Bryan Hamilton
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Re: Rattlesnake constantly rattles?

Post by Bryan Hamilton »

It is hard. I feel like it must be unpleasant to rattle like that. I hope he shakes it soon, so to speak. He's a really cool snake a good eater, and I've transitioned him from lizards to mice to rats and watched him grow from 10 grams to 400 grams.

I might try repositioning his cage for more privacy. He doesn't use a hide box unless he's fed or getting ready to shed.

Thanks for the replies everyone.
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The Jake-Man
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Re: Rattlesnake constantly rattles?

Post by The Jake-Man »

It won't hurt the snake to remove the rattles. However, that wouldn't fix the underlying issue, whatever it may be.
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Kelly Mc
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Re: Rattlesnake constantly rattles?

Post by Kelly Mc »

What a gratuitous buzzkill.
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Joshua Jones
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Re: Rattlesnake constantly rattles?

Post by Joshua Jones »

I would tend to agree with Craig about the possible shedding issue. Maybe the new cage position is exacerbating the problem. It's very odd, though, for a buzz tail not to ever stop rattling, even when they're really worked up. Someone mentioned the possibility of neurological disorder. As much as that would suck, nothing you've told us helps to rule that out. Try covering the cage (the duct tape of rattlesnake husbandry) and see what happens after this shed. If it keeps up, it's time to look for a vet.

Edit: I just saw that you share a room with this snake. DEFINITELY cover the cage if it's not possible to move it entirely. A crote's aversion to large mammals shouldn't be underestimated. The very last thing they want to see at the end of a long winter is you. ;)
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Kelly Mc
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Re: Rattlesnake constantly rattles?

Post by Kelly Mc »

Shedding note is I have had people tell me their snake has suddenly "become aggressive" ie actually defensive and on examination a retained spectacle is the cause. But what is found also are retained tail tips, that beome constrictive, especially say, in a ball python in that growth spurt towards adulthood. It is easily overlooked and can end up in the tip drying and falling away. But until then it creates constant adverse stimuli.

Its testament to how acutely innervated snakes are.
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Re: Rattlesnake constantly rattles?

Post by chris_mcmartin »

Thinking WAY outside the box, but maybe something similar to a pinched nerve, i.e. "slept on it wrong" during brumation?
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Kelly Mc
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Re: Rattlesnake constantly rattles?

Post by Kelly Mc »

I cared for two oreganus once who rattled when i was working in the service area in back of their enclosures and then stopped after a few weeks after i got there as if they became accustomed to my footfall, on the hardwood floor. I dont know about how they reacted to other people who were assigned to the room before, i didnt think to ask or notice it.

Another rattlesnake I had in my room, like you Bryan, did not react to percussive stimuli at all, as far as i remember, only rattled when being serviced and then on off in diminishing spurts.

The frightened one i mentioned in another post that was almost always rattling was kept in an empty room and was rescued from an aluminum garbage can in hot summer, the bottom of the can was soot from used charcoal briquettes and beer cans and cigarette butts were flicked at it for entertainment. It was housed temporararily in a wood enclosure that opened on the top and though a paper bag blocked off most of the glass pane the snake almost always seemed to be buzzing - however i never investigated it surreptitiously, and it could have been reacting to the percussive of my entering footsteps and opening the door, but it was an understandably stressed animal.

The possibility of a metabolic tremor, or infection that presents in neural trembling I have never heard of being isolated in only the tail of any kind of snake, but i havent looked further, just never heard of that.

But a conventional body tremor, from those causes, if very slight may not be readily detected to the eye. But in a rattlesnake could be heard.
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Bryan Hamilton
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Re: Rattlesnake constantly rattles?

Post by Bryan Hamilton »

Thank you all for the replies and help. I did figure out what was going on....

I say this sheepishly, but it turns out it wasn't the snake that was rattling. I had installed new heat tape and thermostat since last year. When I got the rattlesnake out to examine it, I was still heard the noise. The heat tape must vibrate when the thermostat kicks it on. Seems silly for a rattlesnake biologist to mistake a vibration for a rattlesnake but the noise really sounds like a rattlesnake.

Thanks again for the help. I really appreciate it. I am happy things turned out so well.
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Re: Rattlesnake constantly rattles?

Post by mwentz »

Bryan Hamilton wrote:Thank you all for the replies and help. I did figure out what was going on....

I say this sheepishly, but it turns out it wasn't the snake that was rattling. I had installed new heat tape and thermostat since last year. When I got the rattlesnake out to examine it, I was still heard the noise. The heat tape must vibrate when the thermostat kicks it on. Seems silly for a rattlesnake biologist to mistake a vibration for a rattlesnake but the noise really sounds like a rattlesnake.

Thanks again for the help. I really appreciate it. I am happy things turned out so well.
You should inspect the heat tape, or try plugging another heat tape into the thermostat to see if it rattles. I would worry that the rattling is a sign of near failure on the heat tape.

as a side note, I replaced a couple of lights in my house with the new Cree LED bulbs, and when they are on a dimmer they hum a little. The first time I heard it, no music or TV was on. I could have sworn a bee or fly was in my house. It wasn't until I went closer to the lamp that I figured out where the hum comes from.

Good to hear that your snake doesn't have problem.
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Re: Rattlesnake constantly rattles?

Post by hellihooks »

I WAS gonna suggest restless leg syndrome... but probably not that... :crazyeyes: If you fix the problem bit-by-bit, over the course of a week... the noise should 'taper' off... :crazyeyes:
My Desert phase Helleri, starts rattling when you walk in the room, and doesn't stop till you've been gone a while... but that's just because he's one evil-tempered SOB... :shock: :lol: :lol: jim
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Kelly Mc
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Re: Rattlesnake constantly rattles?

Post by Kelly Mc »

Bryan Hamilton you are one cool cat. Full disclosure is the only way anything really gets done. A less generous and secure person might have said nothing, and added nothing to the body of knowledge or the potential of helping someone else. All keepers have experienced equivalents to what you have shared, unusual events in behaviors & health of herps in captivity and the idiosyncrasies in the equipments we use to keep them going.

Its good to do as you have done.

Im happy for your snake and wish I knew you. I wish I knew a lot of people here in real life especially the crote guys.
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Joshua Jones
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Re: Rattlesnake constantly rattles?

Post by Joshua Jones »

Bryan, I'm glad to hear that it turned out for the best. Kelly's right about how cool that was of you to be able to admit what the problem was. I wish I had known that you were a rattlesnake biologist, though. Now I feel foolish for presuming to "inform" you about what rattlesnakes do and don't want to see when they get out of bed. :lol:

Kelly, I am in agreement. Crote people is good people. :thumb:
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