They hibernate communally with other timber rattlesnakes and also other species of snakes such as bullsnakes, milk snakes, black rat snakes, racers, and, less commonly, garter, brown, redbelly, and ringneck snakes. Habits Timber rattlesnakes are among the last snakes to emerge from hibernation in the spring, and among the first to retire to their winter retreats in the fall. They may bask around their den openings in late April or early May, but they do not move away from their dens until late May. Many individuals move to other small, sunny openings of the bluff to spend their summer. Still others may spend the entire summer near the den site, especially the gravid females. In the spring and fall, timber rattlesnakes are active during the day, and during the hot summer months, they become nocturnal.
Timbers appear to be lie and wait predators using many senses to detect prey.
They have been observed to lie coiled up next to a fallen log with their head resting on the log. The log acts as a runway for rodents. As a rodent approaches, vibrations traveling through the log alert the snake of a possible meal. Timber rattlesnakes are surprisingly calm when encountered in the wild. Many will sit motionless hoping that you will not see it.