Often, a dark line extends from the eye along the angle of the jaw and there is a rustcolored stripe down the back. It has a large rattle at the end of its tail. This rattlesnake lives on rocky, wooded hillsides. In the northern half of Missouri, it tends to congregate in selected southfacing rocky areas where it overwinters. This habit is not widespread in southern Missouri.
Timber rattlesnakes eat a variety of rodents and also small rabbits.
It is dangerously venomous, but there are few cases of rattlesnake bites in this state. It is important for those who spend time in Missouri's outdoors to learn to identify venomous snakes. Use these photos, descriptions and maps to familiarize yourself with the size, color and distribution of these snakes. Consequently, this characteristic is not reliable for distinguishing venomous snakes from harmless one. All of Missouri's venomous snakes are pit vipers, which means they have an opening on each side of the head, called a sensory pit .