Baby Mojave Green Rattlesnake's Tiny Rattle

This time of year is usually too cold to see many reptiles, but that didn’t stop this unexpected guest from slithering through the exterior Visitor Center exhibits at Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area the other day!

This tiny Mojave Green rattlesnake (Crotalus scutulatus) is probably less than a year old. How can we tell?

Rattlesnakes get a new segment to their distinctive tail end every time they shed their skin, and this little one only has two segments. The result is this adorable little buzz of a rattle.

Rattlesnake’s rattles are made up of hollow scales made up of keratin, the same material your hair and fingernails are made of. When threatened, the rattlesnake will shake its tail 50-100 times a second! This makes the loose scales strike each other, making the rattle noise that warns other animals (and people) to stay away.

We safely relocated this little green away from visitors, where hopefully it will live until it has a nice, long rattle.