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The question: Could close by lightning prompt a rattlesnake to rattle?

Maybe it was just my fillings (the CB antenna tip was buzzing too), but I swear in 3 different notable instances that after lightning struck the nearby atmosphere, I heard a rattle a little ways off in 2 different bushes. The rattle noise was not long and I never heard it happen due to wind with no strikes. I regret not hiking over and checking.

It got me thinking but I could find no information online. I'm guessing not many people try to get in between the two.

You're not supposed to be close enough to lightning frequently enough to have this question.

Once while sent out to remove a rattlesnake from a front yard which we could not locate. The home owner asked us to turn the siren on our fire truck hoping that the noise would make the snake rattle. It didn't but it sure riled up the neighborhood dogs and coyote.

A chum messaged me that he asked my question to a snake expert (snexpert?) and got back "vibrations are what they usually cue off of but a bright flash of lightning close by may."

I need mythbusters to recreate this for me.

The single short rattle might just be the equivalent of you pooping your pants a little bit.
A close lightning strike can do that!
*the above comment is not based on any scientific evidence

I thought this thread was going to be about your difficulties training a stupid pet snake...

A lot of things can facilitate a rattle. Flashlight, animal passing by, walk steps, other snakes rattling, the wind (seen it). A guy did an experiment and played a recording of a rattlesnake rattling to other rattlesnakes. The recording set off the other rattlesnakes to rattle, which means rattlesnakes can hear their own rattle and can hear, even tho they don't have ears. So it is possible for rattlesnakes to rattle from thunder. Also, the thunder could have scared another animal to run across the rattler to get it to rattle.

Not rattlesnakes, but somewhat related: way back in the 1980's I had some spadefoot toads living in the backyard. If enough of a thunderstorm came through, they would come up and hang out in the puddles and carry on with that distinctive call. One evening after a bomber came through and dumped a ton of rain, then moved on, they were doing just this. An idea came to me: a few years prior I had made an audio recording of a huge thunderstorm and I wondered what would happen if I cranked that baby up on the stereo with the back door open so they would hear it? Believe it or not, it wasn't too long before a couple hopped in through the door and headed for the speakers! Then to top it off they started getting it on on the floor. This was just unreal! (yet it really happened) Critters do indeed key on sound and vibration!

Metal detectors are great devices for finding rattlers. Had one do a dance in front of me as I moved the detector from side to side. Weird!

@SuperstitionGuy
I never thought of that, but putting out high frequency waves could excite them. You should try it on Chumley.

@Alston_Neal
It doesn't take that much to get @Chumley excited.
Most of his "acquaintances", back out of rooms he's in.

@The_Eagle
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chumley wrote:@The_Eagle
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Dang.

chumley wrote:*the above comment is not based on any scientific evidence

After the weekend at the Huachucas, I'm sure you've got plenty of anecdotal evidence ;)

@JoelHazelton
haz needs to support the poop emoji!

chumley wrote:haz needs to support the poop emoji!

Start a petition, I'll sign it. Sometimes a Pumpkin just won't do...