Timber rattlesnake

Introduction

Timber rattlesnakes Crotalus horridus are found in the Eastern USA. It is definitely present from southern Minnesota to Eastern Texas and all states in between and states east of Texas and Minnesota. Prior to a bite they will usually rattle and feint for a quite a period of time - so it should be possible to avoid to get bitten by this venomous snakes. Its venom is quite toxix also compared to other rattlesnake species. Timber rattlesnakes has a relatively low tolerance for human disturbances⁰ and they will migrate to somewhere else if people keeps on disturbing them at their basking spots and near their dens. It is often confused with the Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake.

Timber rattlesnake prey

In a study from 1949¹ it was found that the only type of prey found in 19 timber rattlesnake specimens, from Mountain lake in Virginia, were mammals. In this small population most mammals were mice which probably reflects that mice are abundant in the area studied.

Size and appearance

Male timber rattlesnakes are larger than females. This holds true for adult snakes and newborn timber rattlesnakes². Adult individuals can reach a length of 5 foot (1½ meter). With respect to color they fall into two groups - black background color and yellow background color.

References

0. Furman, J. Timber rattlesnakes in Vermont and New York: biology, history, and the fate of an endangered species (2007)
1. Smyth, T. Notes on the Timber Rattlesnake at Mountain Lake, Virginia Copeia 1 pp. 78 (1949)
2. Stewart, M.M, Larson, Gary E. (!) & Matthews T.H. Morphological Variation in a Litter of Timber Rattlesnakes Copeia 4 pp. 66-67 (1960)