Rattling one’s tail is one way that snakes express their fear and make themselves appear threatening to predators. This is NOT a technique solely used by rattlesnakes! We often get calls from people who believe they are dealing with a rattlesnake because the animal was “rattling its tail” at them. In the vast majority of cases, the finder is dealing with an eastern ratsnake. We have never had one of these cases actually turn out to be a Timber Rattlesnake, the only rattlesnake in our area. Like