Like other snakes, the forked tongue of the Timber Rattlesnake is used for smelling. It trails the stricken animal with its sensitive tongue to wherever the prey has fallen. Interestingly enough, if the snake strikes a bird, it does not let go, instinctively knowing that a bird will fly away, not leaving a scent trail upon the ground that the snake could follow. Then, usually beginning with the head, the Timber Rattlesnake swallows its prey whole. Days or weeks may pass before the Timber Rattlesnake has an opportunity to feed again.
Timber rattlesnakes bear live young during late summer or early fall.
Litters range from around five to nineteen young which are totally on their own from birth, receiving no care from the female. Although still common in some locations, the Timber Rattlesnake is rapidly declining throughout much of its range, primarily due to habitat destruction and intense persecution by man. Rattlesnake dens are often dynamited and individual rattlesnakes encountered by humans are almost always killed. Overcollecting of rattlesnakes has also become a major cause of their decline. In some states, the Timber Rattlesnake is now protected by law.