Craig Wilson, age 9, of Weston, Ont., Canada, for his question:

Do rattles tell the age of a snake?

A rattlesnake adds a new rattle to his tail every time he sheds his scaly skin.  If he sheds once each year at the age of l0 he should have l0 rattles. But you cannot count on him to do what you expect. A baby rattler may shed his skin two or three times before his first birthday. An older rattler may shed once a year or once in two years so the number of rattles on the tail do not tell his exact age.

What's more, rattlesnakes often lose a rattle or two, especially as they grow older. As a rule, an old snake has more rattles than a young one and also he is bigger. In any case, never stay close enough to count the rattles of a rattlesnake. His poisonous bite is deadly dangerous. He is sure to strike you if he can and his aim is both fast and accurate.