EDUCATION
Black morph with black head/eyes (left) and yellow morph with yellow head/eyes (right). Blue eye indicates preshed.
The rattle is made up of segments of keratin. A new segment is added with each shed. These segments can easily break and fall off. A snake will rattle when agitated, using it’s rattle as a warning device.
Milk snake
Garter snake
Milk snakes and garter snakes are often mistaken for timber rattlesnakes, even though they don't have rattles and are significantly smaller in size. Neither of them are venomous and are commonly found in neighborhood backyards.