Do rattlesnakes gain a rattle each year?
Rattlesnakes add a segment to their rattles each time they shed their skin. This occurs 2-4 times per year in younger snakes, and once or twice per year in older snakes. Thus, a ten-year-old rattlesnake may have added 25 segments to its rattle during its life. However, the rattles tend to break off periodically by getting caught on logs or other debris. Therefore, adult rattlesnakes often have only 8-12 segments remaining on their rattles. A complete rattle has a button on the tip, while a broken rattle does not.
