Rattlesnake bit me after new snake. Is she jealous or threatened?

Question

This is gonna sound strange but I'm totally serious. I have a few snakes as pets. My favorite one is a Prairie Rattlesnake I've had since she was a little under a foot long. Now she is about 25 inches long. I recently found a New Mexico milk snake. I was bit the same day I put them together. I have been able to hold her numerous times. The rattlesnake I mean. Somebody had told me the reason she bit me was that she was jealous because I put the milksnake in. Is this possible?

Andrea M. Brodie, DVM · Accepted Answer

It is unlikely that your rattlesnake bit you because she is jealous. I do not think they can be jealous, however it is possible that it felt crowded or threatened when you introduced the milk snake. I am assuming when the rattle snake bit you, it was a dry bite, ie your snake did not inject any venom. You cannot rely on the fact that it may dry bite all the time, so please be careful and make sure you do not get bit again. I see that you are from Mountainair. If you would like to learn about snakes you should visit here: http://msb.unm.edu/divisions/amphibians-reptiles/ and http://www.nmherpsociety.org/ The University of New Mexico has a very good herpetology division and the professors there are really helpful.

Rattlesnake bit me after new snake. Is she jealous or threatened?

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