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A rattle for a baby is a pleasant noise but a rattle at the end of the tail of a snake warns of danger. Rattle snakes make a rattling noise to warn their enemy to stay away from them. Though, sometimes, they can bite without rattling.

The rattling sound of a snake is caused by horny pieces that are loosely joined together.

The pieces make a buzzing sound when the snake shakes its tail. However, rattlesnakes are not the only snakes that vibrate their tails. Several other harmless snakes do the same thing and people often mistake them for rattlesnakes. One way to tell the difference between a rattlesnake and a harmless snake is to see if the snake lifts its tail when it makes the buzzing sound. Rattlesnakes always do that whereas a harmless snake moves its tail back and forth on dry leaves or grass.

A rattlesnake gives out poison through two long hollow teeth, or fangs, in its upper jaw. These fangs fold back into the jaw when they are not used. They stick out only when the rattlesnake is about to strike its prey Birds and small mammals make up the rattlesnake's diet. These snakes are also useful to farmers as they eat rodents that destroy their crops. Humans should always stay away from rattlesnakes as they are among the most dangerous snakes in the world.

If a rattlesnake makes a rattling sound, it means ______.

A)  it is making a pleasant sound    

B)  it is a harmless snake

C)  it is a danger warning

D)  the snake will not bite

E)  None of these