Saw two rattlesnakes this evening about 5 feet from each other. One had its rattles cut clear off and the other had two buttons and could barely make any noise. They were both 3 foot snakes. One had probably had its rattles stepped on by a cow or somethin. I'm guessing the other had been hit by a disc when someone was plowing up a field. I've caught snakes without rattles before just never seen two that couldn't buzz in one place at the same time.
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Rattleless rattlesnakes.
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That would be pretty nuts for a rattle snake to be stretched out and not get hit by the tractor or any other part of the disc then have one blade slice off the rattle clean. I’d say it would be more likely that someone cut them off or smashed them off trying to run it over. That being said I have killed two in the same area a year apart that had no rattles. Old timers say mice will chew them off when they are hibernating. Who knows
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Mice will definitely chew them off when they're dormant. One of my buddies had a 6 foot Diamondback in a box and threw a field mouse in the box. He opened it a few days later and the mouse had chewed a hole clear through the snake and killed it. The snake never attempted to eat it because it was dormant. When they go into hiding for the Winter their metabolism slows down so much they can't eat or whatever they eat will rot inside them and kill them.
My grandpa found one once that had been been hit by a tractor and it's rattles were off. I also know an old man that was farming once and found rattles stuck to the disk. There's really no telling what done it but I know they'll get hit by farm equipment and live sometimes. The one my grandpa found had just been hit and its rattles were cut off but other than that it was doing ok....for a little while. If they know you're coming they'll try to get out of your way. All I can figure is they start going away from the farm equipment and almost make it and get their tail end damaged at times.Last edited by okrattler; 09-10-2019, 09:35 PM.
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Have found one we suspect had its tail and rattles ran over by a car, the were flattened and full of dried blood. Back when I raided snake dens we'd find them with all kinds of marks and scars, caused by who knows what. I don't mess with them much since those days but when I do find them, I'm amazed that I don't find anymore damaged ones than I do.
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