fbpx Skip to Content
reptiles

Timber Rattlesnake

Crotalus horridus

Not So Horridus After All

Timber rattlesnakes play an important role in our ecosystems by keeping the populations of small mammals in check. Additionally, they help control tick-borne diseases such as Lyme disease in check by consuming the ticks that are found on their prey items.

About the Species

In warmer months, timber rattlesnakes are lone predators. During the summer, the snakes are migratory.

Timber rattlesnakes roam several miles from their winter den and do not have a permanent home. They cannot tolerate winter and hibernate for up to 7 months each year, returning to the same den each year. They hibernate in dens which are often in rock crevices. These dens may accommodate 15-60 snakes. The timber rattlesnake has several color morphs: background color of gray with rich black patterns or background color of tan, with patches of sulfur yellow tinged brown. All the snakes have transverse bands of color. In the coastal plains of the southeast, these snakes are much grayer with a rusty stripe down the back, and referred to as canebrakes.

Words From the Experts

Quotes

It has been proven that timber rattlers help control Lyme disease! When a snake consumes a rodent, it eats all the ticks in the process. In a single year, a single timber rattlesnake will consume between 2,500 and 4,500 ticks!

Dave

Dave

Did You Know?

Timber rattlers are pit vipers. They have heat sensitive pit organs located between the nostrils and the eyes. They are sensitive to radiant energy and can distinguish very slight changes in temperature.

Facts

World Icon

Origin

Native to West Virginia, South New Jersey, South Carolina, Texas

Leaf Icon

Habitat

Hardwood forest, pine barrens

Scale Icon

Size

Length: 90–152 cm | Weight: 1–2 lbs

Knife and Fork Icon

Diet

Mice, rats, squirrels, rabbits, birds, lizards, toads

Danger Icon

Predators

Red-tailed hawks, foxes, owls, coyotes, skunks.

Shield Icon

Natural Defenses

Venom

Heart Icon

Reproduction

10–11 offspring

Question Bubble Icon

Status

Least concern

Heart with Heartrate Icon

Life Expectancy

16–22 years.

  • Saving reptiles and amphibians
  • Saving Animals From Extinction
  • Culture Builds Florida
  • Florida Association of Zoos and Aquariums