That just doesn't make sense, the reason that a Ratsnake is intimidating when rattling it's tail is because it sounds like something dangerous. Though it may be true that some species in different locales still exhibit this behavior as a means of defense, there is really no other logical explanation other than the fact that birds, people, and predators see this as a warning. Why else would they see it as a warning if the sound they were making was not linked to something deadly. The quesiton is interesting but the reverse doesn't add up. I'm anxious to hear what other people have to say. The fact that snakes exhibit this bahavior and live in areas where rattlesnakes do not, or never lived in these areas, may just be evidence of an evolutionary defense mechanism that has proven to work. How long do survival instincts last? This may be an instinct that has survived millions of years of evolution and migration. But to say that the rattlesnake is taking this warning to another level is actually saying the rattlesnake is doing the mimicry. That is more difficult to believe.

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