Rattlesnakes are some of the most iconic groups of snakes in North America. These snakes can be found in almost every part of the continental United States, where they live in forests, deserts, and grasslands.
Rattlesnakes do not travel in pairs or groups. They are solitary creatures by nature and typically do not interact with each other outside of the mating season, or during communal hibernation.
The idea that rattlesnakes travel in pairs is a myth, that originates from anecdotal experiences, especially in rural areas where these snakes are more common.
Rattlesnakes Are Solitary Creatures
Like most snakes, rattlesnakes are solitary animals, meaning they live, hunt, and survive primarily on their own.
They do not live or travel in pairs, or groups.
Their solitary behavior serves several evolutionary purposes.
1. Better Hunting Success
Rattlesnakes are ambush predators that rely on stealth to catch their prey.
To hunt, a rattlesnake will hide and camouflage itself under rocks, in leaf litter, or grass.
The snake will then remain almost perfectly still, and pounce on mice, birds, or other prey that wander close.
Staying hidden is important when rattlesnakes hunt. Having two or more snakes hunting in the same area would alert prey and reduce hunting success.
Hunting alone allows each rattlesnake to maximize its chances of catching prey.
2. Lower Competition for Food
Rattlesnakes often live in environments where food is not always abundant.
If rattlesnakes moved in pairs or groups, they would directly compete with each other for every mouse, lizard, and bird.
By living and moving alone, rattlesnakes reduce direct competition for food and resources.
3. Better Protection From Predators
Rattlesnakes are preyed on by coyotes, hawks, eagles, and even other snakes such as Kingsnakes.
One of the main ways these snakes protect themselves from predators is to remain unseen.
When they spot a predator, rattlesnakes will typically remain motionless, and rely on their camouflage to blend into their environment. Their coloration makes them hard to see in grassy areas.
While one rattlesnake can easily hide, two or more snakes would be more visible to predators.
Living and moving alone enhances rattlesnakes’ ability to stay undetected by predators.
4. Reduced Transmission of Diseases
Many diseases and parasites can be transmitted among animals that live or travel in groups.
By living solitary lifestyles, rattlesnakes reduce their risk of spreading or contracting diseases.
Why Some People Might Think Rattlesnakes Travel in Pairs
Rattlesnakes live solitary lifestyles.
However, there is a practical reason why some people may think they travel in pairs or groups: there are some situations where these snakes can be seen together.
1. Communal Hibernation
In cold climates, rattlesnakes survive the winter by brumating (think of it as a kind of hibernation, for cold-blooded animals).
They seek out protected places where they will not freeze, such as rock crevices, cave entrances, tree stumps, or underground burrows.
The ideal hibernaculum (hibernating space) should be deep enough that the frost does not penetrate all the way to the bottom.
Multiple rattlesnakes may gather in a single den and hibernate communally. It is common to see dozens, or even hundreds of rattlesnakes together.
When the winter ends and the warm spring temperatures come, rattlesnakes will leave their communal dens and resume their solitary lives.
2. Mating Season
During mating season, male rattlesnakes actively seek out females. They do this by following pheromone scent trails that females leave behind as they move.
Once a female is located, the male often spends several days following her around and frequently touching her in an attempt to get her stimulated.
In some species, males fight each other over females, in fights known as “combat dances. “
These dances involve two males rising up in vertical postures, and twisting around one other.
The goal is to pin the other down, so no serious injuries typically happen.
The male that wins this dance gets access to the female, and attempts to mate with her.
After mating, the pair separates and go back to their solitary lives.
3. Shared Basking Area
Like all reptiles, rattlesnakes are cold-blooded (ectothermic) animals.
This means they cannot internally regulate their body temperature. Instead, their body temperature changes with the temperature in their surroundings.
In other words, their environment is the main influence on their body temperature.
As the temperature changes at different times of day and night, rattlesnakes move around in their environment to regulate their body heat. This is known as “behavioral thermoregulation.”
When their body temperature is low, they move into the sun to warm up, when it is high, they move to the shade to cool down.
On cool days, multiple rattlesnakes may gather in the same area to warm up and bask in the sunlight.
4. Shared Resources
Often resources such as food and water are scarce in an area.
Multiple rattlesnakes may gather at a shared water source, to hydrate.
Female Rattlesnakes Sometimes Stay With Their Babies
Unlike many snakes that lay eggs, rattlesnakes give birth to live young. This is known as ovoviviparity.
The embryos develop inside the mother’s body, and she gives birth to live, fully independent baby snakes.
In some species, such as the Arizona black rattlesnake (Crotalus cerberus), the females remain with their babies until they shed for the first time (7 – 14 days).
During this time, females offer some form of parental care and deter potential predators.
The young may even gather around or on the mother’s body.
Once the mother leaves the nest, the young disperse and begin life on their own.
Conclusion
Rattlesnakes do not travel in pairs or groups.
Like most snakes, they are solitary animals, and can only be seen together mainly during the mating season, or during hibernation.
The next time you see a rattlesnake, you will know that it has no companion, and is moving alone.
Sources:
Amarello, M., Smith, J. & Slone, J. Family values: Maternal care in rattlesnakes is more than mere attendance. Nat Prec (2011). https://doi.org/10.1038/npre.2011.6671.1
Hi, my name is Ezra Mushala, i have been interested animals all my life. I am the main author and editor here at snakeinformer.com.