Why does a rattle snake shed its skin?
A snake sheds its skin for the simple reason that the snake gets too big for his skin. This is true of all snakes, but when the rattlesnake sheds he gets an extra reward, a new rattle for his tail.Snakes grow a lotFrom the time rattlesnakes are born, alive, they grow rapidly if they find enough to eat. Newborn rattlers will be only a few inches long, but may grow to be from 3 to 5 feet in length depending on their diet and age. If they avoid their predators like the King snake and birds of prey like hawks and eagles, they may live from 10 to 20 years.Skin becomes too tightWhile the rattlesnake gains weight and length, his skin does not. In fact, if the rattlesnake did not shed, he would suffocate because his skin would be too tight for him to continue to breathe and eat. There is no set schedule for snakes to shed but most do in spring after hibernation.How he shedsAs the skin of a rattlesnake becomes too small, it will break or split, allowing the snake to rub it off on nearby rocks,
