The rattle of the rattlesnake consists j...

The rattle of the rattlesnake consists jf three or paorejsolid horny rings around the and of its tail. There may be as manyas 21 of these rings, which are formed by the failure of the snake to shed its entire skin. The unshed portion dries and hardens, and it is by the shaking of these rings that the snake's tail produces the peculiar sound of peas pattling around in a paper bag.