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http://www.bahiker.com/plantpages/troubleplants.html

There have been reports in summer 2001 of aggressive, non-rattling rattlesnakes. Several hikers have written to me describing encounters with rattlers that did not rattle and were reluctant to leave the trail. Rattlesnakes live throughout the bay area, but are most commonly spotted in dry, rocky, or exposed zones during the warmest months of the year. The standard "rules" for hiking in rattlesnake territory are:
1) do not put your hands (or feet) where you can't see them, i.e. the top of a rock outcrop or in a log pile.
2) be extra cautious in hot weather, as snakes are more active.
3) scan the trail continuously as you hike.
4) keep children from running ahead on trails. Bites to children are more severe than to adults.
5) Avoid tall grass where you can't see your feet (or a potential snake).
Should you encounter a rattler, once it is aware of you, its body language will reveal its mood. A coiled rattler is primed for a strike, while a stretched rattler is more sanguine (although snakes have been reported to "lunge"). If the snake is within striking distance, you should probably stand motionless and wait for the snake to calm down and move. Small, slow steps backward are also an option. If you're out of immediate range, you could either skirt the snake, or wait for the snake to move. Some people believe tapping the ground with a stick (from a safe distance, rather than in the snake's face) will encourage the snake to move on.
Do not injure or kill a rattlesnake. They are an essential part of the bay area ecosystem. Also, educate yourself about rattlesnakes and gopher snakes, which can be easily mistaken for each other.
If you happen to get bitten by a rattlesnake, follow this protocol:
1) Try to stay calm (which seems impossible, but the toxin is spread through your blood, and the faster your heart beats, the faster it is dispersed).
2) Take a few minutes and call for help. You could call the nearest ranger station (this is another good reason to carry maps, as there are commonly phone numbers on them), or a nearby hospital. Rattlesnake serum is not always available at every hospital, and it's best to find a hospital with a confirmed supply. Rangers can assist you in getting back to the trailhead, and can arrange emergency medical transport.
3) If you don't have a phone, or if the phone doesn't work in your location, assess the situation. If you're alone, you'll have to hike out by yourself. If you've got company, either send the other person back to the trailhead and/or emergency phone, or have the person help you walk back.
4) Forget the old stories of cutting the bite area and sucking the venom out. There are snake bite extraction kits available at outdoor stores, but they are perhaps best suited to remote attacks, where hiking back to the trailhead is not practical. Unless you're deep in the backcountry, don't waste time trying to get the venom out; put your energy into making your way to a hospital.
5) What to do if you are on a backpacking trip, more than 1 day from help and out of cell phone range? Advise varies, but people have survived by simply staying put and waiting the bite out. A healthy adult may be able to process the venom out of his/her system. Keep the bit limb lower than the heart, remove restrictive clothing and/or jewelry, and wash the bite area with soap and water. Hopefully you would have a suction extractor, which should be used within 15 minutes.






you can read on non-rattle behaviour at these site.

I guess only the young ones dont rattle till they have grown one....but you may find an interesting fact or two about these snakes and their rattle behaviour.

im going to read them to see if some dont rattle...
so far its the young ones and the pigmy non-rattling behaviour



http://www.ircf.org/iguana/pdf/12-1_HistoricalPersp.pdf


http://www.ucs.louisiana.edu/~amr3672/webpapers.htm
( alot of rattle snake research )

http://www.ucs.louisiana.edu/~amr3672/DTDHerpRev.pdf


http://www.bcreptiles.ca/snakes/n_pacificrattle.htm
( this one has a video of a rattler )

http://www.bcreptiles.ca/more_rattlers.htm

http://www.ucs.louisiana.edu/~amr3672/DTDHerpRev.pdf