A Deadly Baby Boom – It’s Rattlesnake Season In Texas

Rattlesnakes in Texas and across the United States of America have been active since early spring. Get ready for a bunch more as fall approaches ...

Rattlesnakes are the only venomous species of snake in the El Paso area but other areas of Texas are home to each of the 4 deadly, domestic ones - rattler's, coral snakes, copperheads and water moccasins.

Rattlers are not only, (usually) easy to spot, they're also, (usually), kind enough to give you a heads up that they're there. I say usually because your biggest clue, the rattle, isn't always used or visible. Sometimes, it's not even there ...

What Rattlesnake Has No Rattle?

The baby ones and we're about to see tons of them because August - October is rattlesnake birthing season. Baby rattlesnakes are born ready to rock, complete with fangs and loaded with venom. They don't have a rattle though, just a "button" ... see one here.

READ MORE: El Paso's Most Rattlesnake Infested Areas

When they shed their skin for the first time, they get their first rattle and others are added with each subsequent shedding. They sometimes break off and they can shed more than once a year so, no ... you can't tell a rattlesnakes age by counting the rattles.

Being babies, the young 'uns are pretty small and harder to see, especially that "button". Don't assume you're safe just because you don't see a rattle. 

How To Spot A Rattlesnake

Other than hearing or seeing the rattle, look for a triangular shaped head and, in the case of the diamondbacks we have around El Chuco, a diamond pattern in their markings.

They can also be ID'd by the heat seeking "pits" between the eyes and nose and their elliptical, (vertical), pupils. NOTE: Some non-venomous snakes have vertical pupils.