This anecdote reminded me of a situation in southern Alberta. Working
in the oil patch, we were conducting an assessment of a particular
lease where rattlesnakes are fairly common. No big deal . . . stay in
tune, wear appropriate gear . . . . . We jump out of the truck and
within two steps hear a cacophony of rattles. Incredible impact. Stop
and hold tight, eyes scanning the lease like hawks. The local contact
shows up and informs us that at this particular time of year, there
are great numbers of a particular bug that has evolved with a
distinctive "rattle" sound; no doubt over the course of time
associated with the rattle of the snakes. So we worked for the next
several hours . . . step-by-step, with this constant rattling during
the entire onsite inspection.
--- In Bernie Krause <> wrote:
>
> Kevin's note reminds me that many of the Western Diamondbacks now
> found in N. California
> have evolved w/o rattles. That's because many farmers, grape-growers, =
> new rural residents have killed off those w/ rattles and the ones
> that survive no longer provide the requisite warning(s).
>
> Bernie Krause
>
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