Are there rattlesnakes in Rhode Island?
Short answer
Not anymore
Timber rattlesnake: Not anymore. The timber rattlesnake once lived in Rhode Island but is considered gone from the state.
The nearest populations are in Connecticut, Massachusetts.
Rattlesnakes across the US
- Lives here
- Rare records
- Gone
- Not here
How to recognize one
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.
Often mistaken for rattlesnakes
- Rattlesnake vs Gopher Snake Gopher snake: harmless
- Eastern Diamondback vs Timber Rattlesnake Timber rattlesnake: dangerous
- Timber Rattlesnake vs Copperhead Copperhead: medically significant
- Western Diamondback vs Mojave Rattlesnake Mojave rattlesnake: dangerous
- Pygmy Rattlesnake vs Hognose Snake Eastern hognose snake: harmless
Questions
Are there rattlesnakes in Rhode Island?
Not anymore. They once lived there.
Where are the nearest rattlesnakes to Rhode Island?
In Connecticut and Massachusetts.
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.