Timber Rattlesnake (also known as Canebrake Rattlesnake)
Crotalus horridus • Order: Squamata; Suborder: Serpentes; Family: Viperidae; Subfamily: Crotalinae; Genus: Crotalus; Species: horridus
Eastern United States, from southern New Hampshire to north Florida, and west to southeastern Nebraska and eastern Texas.
Look up Timber Rattlesnake (also known as Canebrake Rattlesnake) in the Snake Encyclopedia →Venomous Status
Venomous (Solenoglyphous fangs)
Danger Level
Extremely Dangerous; possess large venom glands and high venom yield. While generally shy and reluctant to strike, a bite is a life-threatening medical emergency.
Family
Order: Squamata; Suborder: Serpentes; Family: Viperidae; Subfamily: Crotalinae; Genus: Crotalus; Species: horridus
Conservation
IUCN Least Concern globally, but populations are declining significantly. Listed as Endangered or Threatened in many northeastern states due to habitat loss and persecution.
Physical Description
Keely-scaled, heavy-bodied snake. Head is distinctly triangular and wider than the neck. Coloration is grayish-brown to tan with dark brown or black crossbands or 'V' shaped chevrons. A dark stripe often runs behind the eye. This specimen shows the characteristic dark tail and dorsal chevrons.
Size & Dimensions
This specimen appears to be an adult approximately 3 to 4 feet in length. Species typical size range is 36-60 inches (91-152 cm); maximum recorded is about 74 inches.
Habitat
Typically deciduous forests in rugged terrain. In the south (Canebrake variant), they frequent pine flatwoods, river floodplains, and cane thickets. They utilize rock outcrops for denning in northern ranges and lowland swamps in the south.
Behavior & Temperament
Generally placid and cryptic, relying on camouflage. They will rattle as a defensive warning if they feel cornered but may strike without rattling if surprised. Primarily nocturnal in summer but diurnal in spring and fall.
Diet & Feeding
Specialized predator of small mammals, particularly squirrels, mice, rats, and rabbits, with occasional birds. They are ambush predators that use heat-sensing pits to locate prey and track envenomated trails.
Reproduction
Viviparous (gives birth to live young). Late summer/early autumn birth. Females generally reproduce only once every 3 to 4 years due to the high energy cost of gestation.
Venom Profile
Highly variable but complex; typically hemotoxic and cytotoxic causing tissue damage and necrosis, though some populations in the Southeast possess Type B neurotoxins.
Look-alikes
Commonly confused with the Eastern Copperhead (which has 'hourglass' patterns) or Northern Watersnake (which lacks rattles and heat pits). Its distinctive black tail and rattle set it apart from non-rattlesnake vipers.
Conservation Status
IUCN Least Concern globally, but populations are declining significantly. Listed as Endangered or Threatened in many northeastern states due to habitat loss and persecution.
Cultural Significance
Historically significant as the symbol on the 'Gadsden Flag' (Don't Tread on Me). Critically important for controlling rodent populations in forest ecosystems.
Notable Features
Features a segmenting rattle made of keratin at the end of the tail. Possesses loreal pits between the eye and nostril for sensing infrared thermal radiation (heat).