Rattlers 1976

Two boys attacked by snakes trigger investigation

Two young boys are savagely attacked and killed by a legion of rattlesnakes in a small California desert town. The sheriff calls in Dr. Tom Parkinson, a Los Angeles college professor and herpetologist, to figure out why the snakes are behaving abnormally. Parkinson teams with war photographer Ann Bradley to start the inquiry.

Parkinson and Bradley join the investigation

Parkinson and Bradley marshal the local resources and begin interviewing witnesses to understand the unusual snake behavior. They partner with the sheriff to map out the growing pattern of attacks and to plan further field work. The stakes rise as the town fears further casualties.

Snake killings escalate across the town

As more residents fall prey to deadly rattlesnakes, the investigation widens beyond the initial scene. The team searches for an explanation for the snakes' unusual aggression. The case grows more alarming as the deaths accumulate.

Clues point toward a nearby army base

The investigators trace the pattern of deaths to a military installation nearby. Col. Stroud shows reluctance to help, creating friction between the base and the town investigators. The base's chief medical officer, Captain Delaney, offers limited cooperation.

Palmer and Woodley are killed on night patrol

Two soldiers, Palmer and Woodley, on a routine night patrol stop to change a flat tire and are killed by a swarm of rattlesnakes. The casualty triggers heightened urgency to understand the cause behind the lethal snake behavior.

Delaney summons Parkinson and Bradley back to base

Captain Delaney orders Parkinson and Bradley back to the base to investigate the soldiers' deaths, acting without Col. Stroud's knowledge. The reevaluation brings the investigators deeper into the base's operations. Tension rises as military secrecy clashes with public safety.

Discovery of illegal nerve gas disposal

Parkinson uncovers that Col. Stroud ordered and concealed the illegal disposal of an experimental nerve gas called CT3 in a local desert cave. Exposure of the snakes to CT3 has made them unusually aggressive. The revelation links the town's terror to a human crime.

Delaney confronts Stroud about the crime

Delaney confronts Stroud in a drunken confrontation, threatening to expose his crime. Stroud reacts violently, escalating the conflict and exposing the lengths he will go to protect the cover-up.

Stroud kills Delaney

Stroud shoots and kills Captain Delaney during the confrontation. The murder removes the sole ally who might reveal the truth, consolidating Stroud's control and complicating the investigation.

Stroud engages the sheriff's department

Stroud engages the local sheriff's department in a gun battle, attempting to maintain control and silence dissent about the base's illicit activities. The firefight marks a violent clash between the base's leadership and town law enforcement.

Stroud is killed during the gun battle

During the ensuing gunfight, Stroud is killed, ending his bid to cover up the nerve gas crime. The base's influence collapses as the truth begins to surface.