A rattlesnake is a poisonous snake found mainly in the Americas that has a rattle at the end of its tail. It makes a buzzing or rattling sound as a warning when it feels threatened.
The word combines “rattle,” from Middle English “ratel,” describing the shaking sound, and “snake,” from Old English “snaca.” The name directly describes the animal’s most noticeable behavior.
Rattlesnakes actually warn you before they strike, shaking their tails so fast that the hollow segments vibrate like a built‑in maraca. The rattle grows new segments each time the snake sheds its skin, so an older snake literally carries a history of its growth on its tail.
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