Timber Rattlesnake

Range

This species is endemic to eastern North America. It ranges from Southern Minnesota, South to East Texas and North Florida, eastern Kansas, lowo and central Wisconsin, Georgia, the Carolinas, Western Virginia, New England and Pennsylvania.

Habitats

This species dwell on mountainous or hilly forests, swamps, pine floodplains, hardwood or pure forests, lowlands cane thickets. Females are oviparous and reproduce two to three eggs every 2-3 years. A single litter can have about 3-13 eggs. The young ones look like the adults, except that they possess only button on their tail and may have a stripe from eyes to jaws.

Identification

The adult of this species has a length that ranges from 36-60 inches. The Timber rattlesnake or Crotalus horridus has keeled dorsal scales which are arranged in 21-26 rows at mid-body. The make has 158-177 ventral scales while their female counterparts have 163-183 scales. The dorsal coloration of this species is a patterned dark-brown or black crossbands which lies on a yellowish-brown or grayish background. The crossbands are irregular at the edges and shaped in a zig-zag V or M. There's a presence of rust-colored vetebral stripe on the body of Crotalus horridus.

Learn more with Schechter Natural History's Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians