|
1-7 of 7 messages
|
Page 1 of 1
|
|
question re: age
|
Reply
|
|
by Granny on January 11, 2005
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
Hope this question does'nt make anyone mad at me. I'm sorry my questions are so 'basic.' We've never known anyone who could answer snake question for us.
We have heard you can tell the age of a rattlesnake by counting the buttons. I've read they get a new button everytime they shed. I do know some snakes shed more than once a year. ???
I just today checked out this site, by the way. Very impressive!! It may be for people more herp smart than me but it's by far the best 'snake site'
|
| |
|
RE: question re: age
|
Reply
|
|
by BD713 on January 11, 2005
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
Yea you cant go by the number of buttons. Snakes do shed serveral times a year, and rattlesnakes do get a new button everytime they shed. Hopes this helps.
Billy
|
| |
|
RE: question re: age
|
Reply
|
|
by Granny on January 11, 2005
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
|
Wow,thats great! after all these years thinking I could tell the age of rattlers. Thanks for your time!
|
| |
|
RE: question re: age
|
Reply
|
|
by ALA_herp31 on January 11, 2005
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
|
Always remember that rattlers can also break off buttons by hitting them on rocks and other things. So it would be a little hard to tell the age of wild rattlers by just looking at the rattle. Now with Captive Born Snakes, it mite be easier to tell age by counting the buttons........Be safe, Wally
|
| |
|
RE: question re: age
|
Reply
|
|
by GREGLONGHURST on January 12, 2005
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
In the case of a captive born rattlesnake, the only way you could tell its age is by either remembering when it was born or reading the record of the snake that show its date of birth. Counting the segments in the rattle will give you one piece of info...the number of of segments in the rattle.
~~Greg~~
|
| |
|
RE: question re: age
|
Reply
|
|
by RepFan on January 12, 2005
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
Dyanna,
A side note to all the replies you have already recieved. Snakes when born(referred to as neonates) shed many times in their first year. This generally slows down in the years following, when the said snake reaches near the average length/size for an adult of that particuliar species. Though the growing/sheddings slow down considerably at this point; a snake will continue to grow until it dies hence the shedding of the skin. I hope this puts things in a better light for you.
Sincerely,
Todd
(a.k.a. RepFan)
|
| |
|
RE: question re: age
|
Reply
|
|
by LarryDFishel on January 12, 2005
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
Just to add a little more confusion...
Snakes will shed more or less often depending on how fast they are growing.
They will grow at different rates depending on, at least:
1) The type of snake.
2) What, how often and how much they eat.
3) Their physical health.
4) The weather conditions (mostly temperature).
#4 can affect #2 and #3.
#2 and #3 affect eachother.
#2 can also be completely independant, because some individuals just like to eat more than others.
Plus VERy FEW rattlers in the wild will have all of the segments they have produced in their life.
The size of the snake is probably a slightly better guage, but not good.
|
| |
|
Email Subscription
You are not subscribed to this topic.
Subscribe!
My Subscriptions
Subscriptions Help
Check our help page for help using
, or send questions, comments, or suggestions to the
Manager.
|
