Are there rattlesnakes in Kentucky?
Short answer
Yes2 species
Timber rattlesnake: Yes. The timber rattlesnake lives in Kentucky. Open records come from 15 counties.
Pygmy rattlesnake: Yes. The pygmy rattlesnake lives in Kentucky. Open records come from 1 county.
Where in Kentucky
- None recorded
- 1 species
- 2
- 3 to 4
- 5 or more
Rattlesnakes across the US
- Lives here
- Rare records
- Gone
- Not here
How to recognize them
Timber rattlesnake Crotalus horridus
- Dark V- or chevron-shaped bands across the back
- Black tail ending in a rattle
- Yellow, tan or dark phases; some are almost black
Dangerous. Usually calm and slow to strike, but a bite is a medical emergency.
Pygmy rattlesnake Sistrurus miliarius
- Small with a thin tail and a tiny rattle that sounds like a buzzing insect
- Gray or tan with dark round blotches
- Often a reddish stripe down the spine
Medically significant. Small venom yield, and deaths are extremely rare, but bites are painful and need medical care.
Often mistaken for rattlesnakes
- Rattlesnake vs Gopher Snake Gopher snake: harmless
- Eastern Diamondback vs Timber Rattlesnake Timber rattlesnake: dangerous, lives in Kentucky
- Timber Rattlesnake vs Copperhead Copperhead: medically significant, lives in Kentucky
- Western Diamondback vs Mojave Rattlesnake Mojave rattlesnake: dangerous
- Pygmy Rattlesnake vs Hognose Snake Eastern hognose snake: harmless, lives in Kentucky
Questions
Are there rattlesnakes in Kentucky?
Yes. 2 species live in Kentucky: Timber rattlesnake and Pygmy rattlesnake.
What do rattlesnakes look like?
Dark diamonds with pale yellow edges down the back. Two pale diagonal stripes on each side of the face. Thick body and a rattle on the tail.