Posted by:
LarryF
at Fri Oct 24 00:53:39 2008 [ Email Message ] [ Show All Posts by LarryF ]
>>I think, for a ratsnake to "try" and imitate a rattlesnake to keep it from getting molested sounds a bit wrong to me. A rat snake doesn't know how much better equipped rattlesnakes are
However, it doesn't really matter whether they know why it works, or even know that they are doing it for that matter. If rattlesnakes existed first, and a ratsnake randomly mutated to have a tail-shaking behavior and other animals mistook it for a rattlesnake, that snake's genes would be more likely to be passed on.
(But I don't think that's how it happened...probably...)
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What goes up must come down...unless it exceeds escape velocity.
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RE: rattler question - LarryF, Fri Oct 24 00:53:39 2008