This is probably worth it's own thread, but I personally am not convinced that rattles evolved as a great plains/anti-trampling device. My reason is that most places rattle snakes live are NOT great plains. They are in mountains, deserts, jungles, pine forests. Most of these places have only the remotest chance for an individual to be stepped on. The defensive device remains on ALL BUT ONE small insular population who may have lost rattles due to their bush climbing/bird hunting strategy.



I don't know how long Rattlesnakes have been around, but the past few hundred thousand years, ice-age periods have waxed and waned. The set of large animals has changed dramatically, both predator and prey. Deserts, forests, grasslands have increased and receded. Yet through all these changes, rattlesnakes keep their rattles.



Think about it, before the last ice-age, there were Large Elephants, Rhinos, Giant Sloths, Camels, Giant Armadillos. The North American view looked a LOT like our view of Africa. African snakes seem to be surviving just fine with their own set of elephants, rhinos, camels, and other large hooved animals. They aren't under threat of going extinct because of the absense of loud audible warning.



I better be careful or I might start on the topic of how I think the theory that Milk Snakes are mimicking Coral snakes is wrong too.





Doug T





>>I agree with Physignathus. It's no coincidence that rattlers only evolved in such a large plains area occupied by large grazers. The ones that didn't have rattles were soon being picked out of bison hooves.

>>

>>Yes, there are large savannah areas in Africa, but not the size of the great plains. Also, the same evolutionary path does not HAVE to be followed in other areas, although it can happen.

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