Timber Rattlesnake
Crotalus horridus
The Timber rattlesnake is one of two venomous snakes found in New York (the other being the Copperhead,
Agkistrodon contortrix). Timber rattlesnakes are a fairly large snake, reaching about 5 feet in total length and can way up to 4 pounds. The large rattle at the end of the tail is its most distinguishing characteristic. A common myth is that you can tell how old a rattlesnake is by how many rattles the tail has; this however is not true. Although a new rattle is added every time the snake sheds, 1) the snake may shed multiple times a year and 2) older rattles wear and eventually break off. Other notable features include its facial pit, which is used for sensing the body heat of endothermic prey, such as mice, shrews, and voles. Like all pitvipers, timber rattlesnakes rely heavily on their facial pits to capture prey in total darkness; you can think of it as an infrared picture that the snake is able to see. Almost all venomous snakes in the U.S. are pitvipers, coralsnakes (Micrurus) being the exception.
Timber rattlesnakes typically inhabit montane habitat in deciduous woods, although they will venture into more open habitat, such as fields during mid-summer. I’ve noticed that areas where wild blueberries grow are often good habitat for these snakes. The female shown in my photos below was found in a rocky area about 45 minutes North of New York City. Rocky areas provide both a den site for overwintering, where many rattlesnakes come together to hibernate, and allow for pregnant females to give birth (they are live-bearing snakes) where the young can easily hide. Additionally, pregnant females enjoy basking on warm, sun-soaked rocks, which speeds the development of the young. Females typically take at least 6 or 7 years to reach maturity, with males maturing in 4 or 5 years.
In New York, these snakes are listed as threatened and have been since 1983, meaning they can’t be killed or captured without a permit from the state. There are several reasons for their decline. General habitat destruction gives these animals little area to live, but even more insidious is den-site loss. Individual rattlesnakes use the same den-site each year, as do their young. The loss of a den-site can cause the rattlesnakes to overwinter in areas that don’t fully protect them from the elements and cause them to freeze to death over winter. And although these animals are now protected, up through the 1970’s, killing as many as possible was considered good sport and encouraged, resulting in very low population numbers. Because these animals take a long time to reach maturity, with the average female only reproducing twice during her lifetime, they have been slow to recover from persecution. Hopefully, with a more environmentally aware public and many known den-sites on state protected land, these beautiful snakes will recover in full.
Fun Facts:
Timber rattlesnakes will spend several weeks in the same place waiting for a small mammal to come by. They are sit-and-wait predators rather than active hunters.
Timbers rattlesnakes use their tongue to pick up odor molecules from prey species and use that information to determine what areas are good for hanging around in hopes of a meal.
Small mammals often use logs as trails through the woods. Timber rattlesnakes frequently will sit next to a log with their head perched atop, waiting for a snack.
In New York, there are two color phases of this rattlesnake, a very dark, almost totally black form, and another, more yellow blotched form, like the female shown below.
The photos (both taken by me) below show the same female, 1) when she was first spotted and 2) when she moved under a rock.
Threaded Mode
