Rattlesnakes Calm Down When Near a Friend

[bcr229]

Ummmmmmmm... yeah. I'm still not cohabitating my snakes though.

https://www.newsweek.com/rattlesnake...-close-1811084

[Bogertophis]

This makes total sense to me. I kept & knew very well a number of rattlesnakes for some 20 years (a while back). Rattlesnakes are instinctively afraid of the unknown & become calm (or calm-er) when they recognized me: Whenever one of my rattlesnakes got upset & was rattling, I made a point of going to their tank & giving them my scent (by blowing air across my hand so they'd get my familiar scent)- after a while under my care, they'd quickly calm down, clearly recognizing me whenever I did this.

They typically show their "mood" (level of upset) by how they flick their tongues too, & it was obvious to me that they felt better when I took "credit for" whatever had spooked them, instead of just letting them be fearful. In time, nearly all the ones I kept became MUCH calmer- which was my goal. I don't want any snakes (that must remain in captivity) living in fear, so I did what I could to try to reassure them, & it was clear that unknown disturbances scared them (whether it was the accidental slam of a cupboard door or my dog running by) & that by just reassuring them that "it was only me" I could make a big difference.

Yes, there were a few that were way more reactive than others- but they were the exceptions. I also used some special techniques that reduced their fear also- like using a shift-container they could hide & feel safe in when I needed to clean their homes. And if they were dirty, they got bathed, which they clearly appreciated.

I really love rattlesnakes- not at all because they're venomous & dangerous, but in spite of that & for all the personality they show & their obvious ability to learn. I didn't cohab any of my snakes, btw- but it's clear from videos & research done by ASP (Advocates for Snake Preservation- https://www.snakes.ngo/) & others that they do have more of a "social life" than we typically assume. They're just not as "dumb" as people like to think- nor are they out to get us.

[Bogertophis]

And at the risk of sounding like a lunatic, I'll add that even some high-strung rattlesnakes that I knew would get very mellow when they were gently "rocked"- I'd put them in a smaller plastic container ("critter cottage" type) & hold them on my lap while I relaxed & swayed in my hammock. They'd calm down & stop rattling, & indicated a whole mood change by their tongue flicks- so how bad can they be?

In case you're wondering, that was one of my ways to show them I meant them no harm. How you act around them & how you treat them matters- so it's clear to me that whether it's another rattler, or some crazy human, they can recognize who they're safe with. At least "most" do- I've known a very few that were super high-strung- but who knows what was in their past? Maybe they had been treated badly by humans they ran into & escaped from in the past, or maybe they just had that sort of temperament- I mean, there's some asocial & wacko creatures in all species, including we humans*- right? (*you only have to watch the news to know that)