What is the rattle of a snake made of?

However, no sound can be made by the rattle until a second segment is added when the skin is shed again. A new rattle segment is added each time the snake sheds its skin, and the snake may shed its skin several times a year, depending on food supply and growth rate. read more

it is made of Keratin -- the same protein that makes up the skin and scales (and mammalian hair). The rings of the rattle are progressively added up as the snake sheds layers of skin. read more

Timber rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus) Sometimes called a canebrake rattlesnake, these snakes found in the Eastern United States. According to the New Hampshire Fish and Wildlife Department, they are large, regularly growing up to 5 feet (1.5 m) long, and have a large banded or chevron-shaped brown and black pattern. read more