Details
Crotalus horridus
The timber rattlesnake is a large pit viper of eastern North American forests. Its black tail rattle and dark crossbands make it an emblematic woodland snake.
Map: Ecoregions 2017 © RESOLVE (CC BY 4.0) · Natural Earth (PD)
It uses deciduous forest, rocky ridges, mountain slopes and grassy edges across the eastern United States. Rock fissures and communal dens are vital for winter.
Adults are 91-152 cm long and about 500-1500 g. Dark crossbands mark a gray or yellow-brown body, and the tail is usually velvety black.
Activity shifts with temperature, so the snake may be active by day or night. It is an ambush hunter and usually rattles before striking defensively.
Small mammals such as mice, squirrels and rabbits dominate the diet. Heat-sensitive pits help locate prey before a venomous strike.
Females give birth to live young, often only every few years. Northern populations mature slowly and have long intervals between litters.
The species is Least Concern globally, but it has vanished from many northern sites and is protected in several states. Roads, persecution and den disturbance are persistent threats.
