While working on my project I have observed an unique behavior in single individual snake species of Himalayan region (can call defensive). When i was trying to handle it, the snake showed defensive behavior like observed in rattlesnakes. the snake rattled its tail as a warning until i let it go.
Though the snake do not possess rattle like rattlesnakes but it did that with tail by thrusting it on ground (tilting it right left).
Thanks
I would love to hear experts on this.
Other snakes engage in similar behaviour. It has long been supposed that the Gopher Snake (Pituophis catenifer) does this to imitate a rattlesnake, but if snakes do it elsewhere in the world, it suggests a more general explanation.
Thank you sir for sharing.
Yes, thats right some individuals do mimic the same behaviour as you said.
During my work i have worked with alot of snakes here in india but haven't seen such type of behaviour.
And the snake species i am talking about, actualy i have study more than hundreds of them but found this behaviour only in one...and i am curious how it can be different from their own.
Rattlesnakes (Crotalus and Sistrurus) have an actual rattle on the end of their tails. But many, many snakes vibrate their tails. So calling a snake without an actual rattle-like structure would be misleading.
Thanks John sir.
True only they have true rattle buttons on their tails.
But sir, do same species of snake show different behaviours from one another . Is it possible @John
I've observed this behavior in copperheads, eastern rat snakes and black racers. These three species are found in areas where rattlesnakes occur so mimicry seemed like a reasonable explanation. Tail-shaking on dry leaves produces a sound similar to the sound rattlesnakes make. I've only seen it a few times out of hundreds of snake encounters.
It would be interesting to compare how common this behavior is among other snakes in the range of rattlesnakes to snakes outside the range.
Are you sure your snake isn't "tail-luring"?
Yes, John M Orr i am pretty sure that was not "tail-luring"
If you like to have a look i can upload his clip too.
Hope that will give broader explanation
Vibrating of the tail is widespread throughout Colubridae and Viperidae. It is believed that the rattle of the rattlesnake is an elaboration of this simple mechanism. Although North American species such as Gopher Snakes (Pituophis melanoleucus) may be mimicking rattlesnakes in both colour and tail vibrating, elsewhere tail vibrating is not a mimic of a rattlesnake.
Here is a paper on the evolution of the rattlesnakes rattle and presence of rattling in many species of venomous and non-venomous snakes.
Article Behavioral Plasticity and the Origins of Novelty: The Evolut...
As mentioned by others, I've seen many species in the Colubridae rattling their tails against dry leaves and other substrates to make a rattling sound, and I would anecdotally call the behavior common in many species without rattles. This behavior is pretty obviously defensive (not luring prey, which some snakes do), as I observe this behavior in conjunction with other defensive behaviors such as striking towards me or other humans, and attempting to flee. I've seen species including racers, rat snakes, corn snakes, and hognose snakes, all North American and co-occuring with rattlesnakes. I'm not surprised that Allf et al. paper cited indicates the behavior is ancestral to rattle structures, since it's so widespread across families. I would guess the Colubrids using this behavior didn't evolve as rattlesnake mimics but rather were doing the behavior all along and benefited further from the evolution of rattlesnakes.
Here is the clip John M Orr
Did just for few seconds.
Thank you all for sharing your views.
Love the clip--definitely not "tail-luring"!
Has the behavior been reported in this species? You should publish a field note if it hasn't been reported.
Thanks John M Orr
- This type of behavior has not been reported in this species so far and i would like to publish it . There is some more characteristics in it that i wanted to report. Have you a looked on the question regarding a scale i had asked before on research gate.
Both are related to same species.
Would you like to help in publishing, i guess i may need that.
The diagnostic feature of a rattle snake is the presence of rattle on the tail, which is used to rattle. Since the snake lacks rattle, it is not a rattles snake. The snake may have elicited the behavior you described in defense.
The snake in your clip appears to be a Himalayan Pitviper (Gloydius himalayanus). This tail vibrating behavior is common throughout Viperidae but if it is indeed undocumented in this species, you should definitely write a natural history note about it. Herpetological Review would be a good journal to publish such a note.