Timber Rattlesnake

The Timber rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus) also commonly known as canebrake rattlesnake or banded rattlesnake, is a species of venomous pit viper found in the eastern region of the United States.
They are found from southern Minnesota and southern New Hampshire and south from north Florida to east Texas. The species historical range also included Canada, but it's considered extirpated since 2001. There are no subspecies currently recognized.
Timber rattlesnakes are found in lowland cane thickets, deciduous forests in rugged terrain, high areas around swamps and river floodplains, mountainous areas, pine and hardwood forests and also in rural habitats in farming areas. Their numbers are typically lower in the highly urbanized or housing development areas.
The timber rattlesnake has a wide head and narrow neck and is a large, heavy-bodied snake with the characteristic rattle on the end of the tail. Adult snakes range from 76 to 152 cm (30-60 inches) in length, with the record specimen being more than 6 feet (183 cm) long. They weigh on average between 0.5 Kg and 1.5 kg (1.1 and 3.3 lb), but large snakes can weigh as much as 4.5 kg or 9.9 lb. The timber rattlesnake has a brown or yellowish to a grayish body, but some individuals are very dark, almost a solid black.
Somewhere from 20 to 29 dark brown or black V-shaped or M-shaped crossbars with jagged edges the distinctive pattern across their back.
They often also present a rust-colored stripe along the length of their back. Even with their large size, their cryptic coloration is able to conceal them both from prey and predators. 
 The dorsal scales of the snake are keeled. The species has yellow eyes with elliptical or cat-like pupils. The timber rattlesnake will typically shed its skin twice a year with another segment being added to the rattle after each shed.
During spring and fall, the species is most active during the day, but the timber rattlesnake becomes nocturnal during the intense heat of the summer months. During the winter, timber rattlesnakes brumate in dens, in limestone crevices, often together with black rat snake sand copperhead snakes. Like all rattlesnakes when they feel threatened or are harassed they will vibrate their tail causing the loosely connected segments to make the distinct rattling sound. Their lifespan may be anywhere from 16 to 22 years in the wild. The timber rattlesnake is the 3rd largest venomous snake in the US and is one of North America's most dangerous snakes, due to its impressive size, long fangs and high venom yield. However, the species relatively mild disposition and a long hibernation period mean there aren't that many bites. 
The bite symptoms include local pain and swelling, nausea, vomiting, stomach cramping and diarrhea, and muscular spasms throughout the entire body. Like many other rattlesnake species, there is a considerable geographic variation in the species venom toxicity, 4 different venom patterns have been described for the timber rattlesnake. 
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Category:Reptiles
Category:Snakes
Category:Wildlife