Timber Rattlesnake
Crotalus horridus

Timber rattlesnakes are venomous but rarely attack people. It’s illegal to kill them in every state of the Chesapeake Bay watershed except Delaware.

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Close up of rattlesnake showing its white, tan, and brown body and black eyes.
Heat-sensing "pits" under the snakes eye and slightly to the right help them track prey and avoid oncoming predators. (Photo courtesy of Zach Lim/iNaturalist CC BY-NC, cropped)

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Appearance

Timber rattlesnakes are large snakes with a triangular and flattened head with small, heat sensing “pits” between each eye and nostril. There are black phase snakes and yellow phase snakes. The black phase snake has dark bands against a dark body, and the yellow phase snake has dark bands on a lighter body. Color shades and band patterns vary from snake to snake. All timber rattlesnakes have a rattler at the end of their tail.

Feeding

Timber rattlesnakes sit by logs and wait for small mammals to come by, using their tongue to sense where mammals have been and using their head to detect vibrations of approaching animals. They will strike their prey and inject venom, which eventually kills the prey. The snake will track down the dead mammal and eat it whole. A small mammal will be enough food for weeks or months.

Predators

Large birds such as hawks and eagles prey on timber rattlesnakes. Humans will also kill rattlesnakes when they feel threatened, which is illegal in most states.

Reproduction and life cycle

Mating season for timber rattlesnakes starts in the summer, which is when you’re most likely to see them. Young are born the following summer between August and September. Timber rattlesnakes don’t lay eggs. They give birth to litters of about seven to 10 snakes. Males reach sexual maturity in five to seven years and females in seven to nine years. While timber rattlesnakes live for up to 30 years the females only reproduce three to five times during their lifetime.

Did you know?

  • Timber rattlesnakes are also known as an American viper, black rattlesnake, common rattlesnake and eastern rattlesnake.

  • It is illegal to kill or harm a timber rattlesnake in all states of the Chesapeake Bay watershed except Delaware (This includes Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, New York and West Virginia.)

  • Timber rattlesnakes are rarely aggressive and will typically retreat or hide under cover when threatened.

Sources and additional information

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