Wildlife Watching Wednesday: The Venomous Timber Rattlesnake
By: Tom Berg
When it comes to creatures that most people don’t like, snakes are always near the top of the list. In fact, there is a word for people who have an excessive fear of snakes: ophidiophobia. In general, though, there is little reason to be afraid of snakes. Most snakes are afraid of people and will go out of their way to avoid contact with us.
Most snakes are quite harmless, which reinforces the thought that people need not be afraid of them. However, there are some snakes which are venomous in the United States, so caution is advised. One such group of snakes is the different species of rattlesnakes. There are actually 32 species of rattlesnakes in the USA, and the majority of them are found in the west and the southwest.
One species that is found in the eastern United States is the Timber Rattlesnake. It is also called the banded rattlesnake, black rattlesnake, canebrake rattlesnake and American viper. It is a pit viper, and like all rattlesnakes, it is venomous and should not be handled except by experts.
Timber rattlesnakes usually have a yellow or yellowish-brown background with brown or black bands running along their bodies. They tend to be darker, often black, near the tail. Adult timber rattlers commonly grow to 36-62 inches in length, and they can reach lengths of more than 70 inches and weigh several pounds.
The normal habitat of timber rattlesnakes is in forested areas, as might be expected. They can be found in a wide variety of environments, though, including rocky areas, swampy areas and even grassy fields. Dense woodlands where they can hunt mice, rabbits and squirrels is also a favorite of theirs.
Although some people don’t like snakes, even timber rattlesnakes play an important part in the local ecosystem. They are very good at keeping populations of mice and other small mammals under control. Surprisingly, in this way they can indirectly help control populations of pests like ticks which infest those mammals. Less ticks mean less Lyme disease, and that is definitely a good thing!
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