Timber rattlesnakes are afforded no special protection in Iowa. Populations are disappearing in Iowa as a result of habitat destruction, wanton killing, and removal from natural habitats. Please report sightings of timber rattlesnakes to us or the DNR, and although they are not protected, we really should treat them as though they were.
Timber rattlesnakes have a diamond shaped head which is set off from the relatively thin neck.
The pupils of the eyes are elliptical in bright light and there is a heat-sensitive pit between the eye and nostril on both sides of the head. Ground color may be variable, but a banded pattern is almost always present. Ground color may be yellow, gray, or brown with or without a rusty orange stripe down the center of the back. These bands are from 2 to 4 scales wide with a space of about 4 to 6 scales between them and have a light border. The belly is usually the same color as the dorsal ground color and unmarked, except for some darker stippling on some specimens.