How To Preserve a Rattlesnake Rattle

If you ever come across a rattlesnake rattle and wish to preserve its beauty, you might want to know how to preserve a rattlesnake rattle, you’ve come to the right place.

In this comprehensive guide, we will get into the art of preserving a rattlesnake rattle, providing you with step-by-step instructions and valuable insights. So, let’s get in and uncover the secrets of preserving this remarkable natural creation.

 

Understanding Rattlesnake Rattles

Rattlesnake rattles are not only interesting to look at, but they also tell you important things about the snake. The rattlesnake’s age and how often it sheds can be guessed by counting how many rattles it has.

A rattlesnake adds a new piece to its rattle every time it drops its skin. But the piece that goes over the very end of the rattle doesn’t come off. You can guess how old a rattlesnake is by counting how many times it rattles.

However, what occurs when a rattlesnake’s rattles are broken? The rattlesnake’s rattle is as delicate and easily broken as any of our fingernails.

They usually only last about eight or ten rings before snapping. The bright side, though, is that snakes lose their skin continuously, so the rattle can regenerate and look brand new.

And why do rattlesnakes sometimes choose not to rattle, even when threatened? The most popular idea says that this behavior has evolved to keep predators, especially feral hogs, from noticing it.

Predators are drawn to the sound of rattling. Rattlesnakes improve their chances of living in places where these predators are present by staying quiet.

 

Read also: How To Get A Snake Out Of A Hole

 

How to Preserve a Rattlesnake Rattle

• Gather Your Materials
• Remove the Rattle
• Prepare the Rattle for Preservation
• Preserve the Rattle
• Display your Preserved Rattle

It takes careful attention to detail and the right tools and methods to keep a rattlesnake rattle in good shape. You will need certain tools and materials to start this journey of preservation.

Get a big bowl or jar, glycerin, rubbing alcohol, a sharp knife, scalpel, or razor blade, a large board or cutting board, and small nails or screws. After getting your things ready, you can start the process of preserving them.

The first thing that needs to be done is taking the rattle off the snake. Care should be taken to make sure that no one gets hurt by accident. After taking the rattle off the snake, it’s time to get it ready to be stored.

To feather the rattle, you have to get rid of any pieces of meat that stuck to it while it was being taken apart. A sharp knife is needed for this very careful job. Wait your turn and be careful not to damage the rattle’s fragile structure.

Once the rattle is fully fleshed,  soak it in a solution that will keep it fresh. Mix rubbing alcohol and glycerin together, and then put the rattle in a big bowl or jar that is full of the mixture.

Let the rattle soak for a few days, and stir it at least once or twice a day to make sure it gets a good covering. After the soaking time is over, take the rattle out of the solution and let it dry partly.

Next, you need to attach the rattle that is only partly dry to a board. Carefully stretch it out, being careful not to tear it, and then use small nails or screws to hold it in place.

Put the board somewhere with good airflow, and give the rattle about two weeks to dry completely. If you want to make the rattle last even longer after it’s dry, you can rub a little glycerin on it.

So that’s it! Now that your rattlesnake rattle has been kept, it’s ready to be shown off. Pick out a pretty board or wall hanging and use artistic tacks or glue to hold the rattle in place.

Before you hang the rattle on the wall, make sure it is securely connected. The rattlesnake rattle is beautiful and has meaning. If you follow these steps, you can enjoy it for many years to come.

 

Read also: Poisonous Black and Yellow Snake (Real Name?)

 

Preserving a Shed Rattlesnake Rattle

The steps are a little different if you find a shed rattlesnake skin and want to keep it as a prize. Shed rattlesnake skins can be very fragile and need extra care when they are being stored.

Use a spray bottle to wet the skin first to make it more flexible and easy to work with. Do not soak the face; a light misting will do.

Lay the skin on a flat surface with the belly side up after you’ve wet it. Be careful not to tear the skin as you lightly smooth out any wrinkles.

Cut a straight line through the middle of the belly with scissors, starting near the tail where the cloaca opens and going up to the head. With this cut, you can fully open the skin.

Now that the skin is open, carefully glue it to a picture or a big piece of paper. Both the glue and the wet skin should be left to dry completely in a cool place out of direct sunlight.

After the skin is dry, you can laminate it to make a protected layer. This will keep the rattlesnake skin from drying out, so you can show it off in all its beauty.

 

Read also: Is a Snake a Vertebrate or Invertebrate?

 

Conclusion

Keeping a rattlesnake rattle safe isn’t just about protecting a unique natural object; it’s a link to the wild’s beauty. As we come to the end of our lesson on the art of conservation, we learn that protecting these treasures is more than just keeping them safe. It’s also a commitment to understanding and respecting nature’s delicate balance.

So, whether you’re a collector, a nature lover, or just someone who is interested in the mysteries of the animal world, taking care of a rattlesnake rattle is more than just a process; it’s a promise to honor the beauty and meaning found in each rattle’s unique cadence.

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