Here's an interesting blog post. It's not about the article posted in this thread, but about an email going around stating that hogs in Texas eat rattlesnakes that rattle and so the Texas rattlesnakes aren't rattling any more.

http://www.livingalongsidewildlife.c...s-because.html


I already gave a reply, but wanted to expand. I'm not fully convinced rattlesnakes are rattling less because of people. If rattlesnakes are tending toward rattling less, I believe it goes beyond just people. I personally have a feeling part of this may be a case of people not realizing how often rattlesnakes do or don't rattle. I can only speak for my personal observations and experiences, but in that experience and observation, rattlesnakes only rattle as a last ditch effort to scare off a potential threat. They don't rattle unless that threat comes within a certain distance. In my experience, that distance is about 3 feet. The snake also needs to feel exposed, and be warm enough to react. If it's a cool morning, the snake may just sit tight, perhaps too cold to move. Rattlesnakes aren't especially vibrantly colored (or at least not the ones I've seen), they rely on their camouflage to protect themselves much more than they rely on their rattle. Biting tends to be the last ditch effort when all else has failed. Neonates don't even have rattles to make noise with, so in a way they are potentially more dangerous than the adults who do rattle.

As nice as the rattle is for a warning, it isn't something any of us should rely on. Rattlesnakes don't rattle every time. My dad grew up in an area where there were lots of rattlesnakes. I'm a biologist now and I venture into rattlesnake areas as part of my job. My dad taught me the most dangerous rattlesnake is the one you don't hear. If you are going out in an area where there are venomous snakes, you should always keep your eyes open, not just your ears. I once watched a coworker almost step on a rattlesnake, early one morning while the snake was still trying to warm up. My coworker didn't even see the snake, even though it was very obvious to me, but I also have a tendency to look where I'm putting my feet.