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2 headed venomous snake species

caters

Sage
I have seen 2 headed snakes before so that isn't unusual(well it is but after color mutations, I think this is the most common snake mutation) but this snake that I am designing for the Kepler Bb planet and planning to have in the story not only has 2 heads but is venomous. And it has 2 rattles. Each rattle is individually controlled. I am thinking of calling this a double rattlesnake but that isn't very creative. I mean it describes the snake but it isn't very creative of a name.

The snake kind of looks like this rattlesnake:
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Except it lives in forests and grasslands, not the desert and as I said above it has 2 heads and 2 rattles.

snake-motion.gif


There are 2 movements here commonly used by rattlesnakes. There is the concertina movement(coiled up and striking really far(up to half its body length) is an example of the concertina movement in action). There is also the sidewinding movement which as far as I know is only used by 1 type of rattlesnake, the sidewinder(though sidewinder can also mean the desert adder which isn't a rattlesnake at all).

Anyway what is a good species name for this 2 headed, 2 rattled, venomous snake?
 

Vaporo

Inkling
2 minute google search brought up this:
DialectCreator.com - Advanced Word Generator

"Double rattlesnake" doesn't make much sense unless you have normal rattlesnakes in you world as well. I'd just make up a completely new word for them.

Think about the people naming these things. Are they long-time natives of the region? Newcomers who have never even seen a normal snake? Is their language simplistic or extremely advanced? Do these things have a high death toll or are they a nusiance? Questions like this can help you to narrow down what you want the name to sound like.

You seem to post a lot of these "what should I call x" threads, and most of them get the about same response. It's your creation. Call it whatever you think sounds good. I don't think you'll get too much other advice than that.
 
I agree with Vaporo, I would call it whatever you think is best. However, I do agree that "Double Rattlesnake" isn't very creative. It also depends on the world you've built and if rattlesnakes are even a species. So much goes into it!
 

CupofJoe

Myth Weaver
What makes the snake different from other snakes around it?
Are there differences in colour or patterning?
In where it lives? Where it likes to bask? In what it eats or how it hunts?
Does it look [even vaguely or sort of] like something else the people of Kepler Bb already know?
Was it discovered by someone [in]famous?
 

TheKillerBs

Maester
I don't think the problem is that it's not creative, but that it's forgettable. On the other hand, it's pretty direct and to the point, so you could definitely do worse...
 

K.S. Crooks

Maester
If the snake being two headed is the norm for that species then I agree with CupofJoe. Use any combination of the colour, pattern and habitat to name the snake. Another option is to create a name that describes how the people of the region feel about the species. If they find it fearful or it has an specific behaviour then a name that strikes dread or acts as a warning may be the way to go, (examples- Black Widow Spider, Vampire Bat, Killer whale).
 
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