Timber rattlesnake
Usually calm and slow to strike, but a bite is a medical emergency.
- Lives in
- 31 states
- Size
- 36–60 in
- Open US records
- 5,164
- Group
- Snake
How to identify it
- Dark V- or chevron-shaped bands across the back
- Black tail ending in a rattle
- Yellow, tan or dark phases; some are almost black
- Southern snakes often have a rusty stripe down the spine
Size: 36–60 in (total length). Habitat: Rocky wooded hillsides in the North, bottomland forest and canebrakes in the South.
Also called canebrake rattlesnake, banded rattlesnake.
Where it lives
- Lives here
- Rare records
- Gone
- Not here
When it is out
Look-alikes
- Eastern Diamondback vs Timber Rattlesnake Eastern diamondback rattlesnake: dangerous
- Timber Rattlesnake vs Copperhead Copperhead: medically significant
State by state
| State | Status | Open records | Counties |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Carolina | Lives here | 771 | 26 |
| Pennsylvania | Lives here | 588 | 46 |
| Georgia | Lives here | 402 | 59 |
| Kansas | Lives here | 300 | 26 |
| Virginia | Lives here | 284 | 37 |
| Alabama | Lives here | 281 | 45 |
| Texas | Lives here | 278 | 50 |
| New York | Lives here | 269 | 19 |
| South Carolina | Lives here | 217 | 23 |
| Missouri | Lives here | 212 | 13 |
| Louisiana | Lives here | 191 | 25 |
| Oklahoma | Lives here | 134 | 25 |
| Illinois | Lives here | 132 | 6 |
| Wisconsin | Lives here | 126 | 7 |
| Connecticut | Lives here | 119 | 5 |
| Arkansas | Lives here | 91 | 16 |
| Tennessee | Lives here | 87 | 24 |
| New Jersey | Lives here | 78 | 5 |
| Ohio | Lives here | 77 | 12 |
| Minnesota | Lives here | 70 | 3 |
| Iowa | Lives here | 68 | 6 |
| Kentucky | Lives here | 66 | 15 |
| Maryland | Lives here | 64 | 5 |
| Indiana | Lives here | 52 | 7 |
| Mississippi | Lives here | 51 | 19 |
| West Virginia | Lives here | 51 | 16 |
| Florida | Lives here | 39 | 10 |
| Nebraska | Lives here | 24 | 4 |
| Massachusetts | Lives here | 22 | 3 |
| Vermont | Lives here | 15 | 1 |
| New Hampshire | Lives here | 2 | 1 |
| Maine | Gone | 1 | 0 |
| Delaware | Gone | 0 | 0 |
| Rhode Island | Gone | 0 | 0 |
| Michigan | Rare records | 1 | 1 |
| California | Not here | 1 | 0 |
States not listed have no open records and are outside the range.
Questions
Where does the timber rattlesnake live?
In 31 states: Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin. Rare records also come from Michigan.
Is the timber rattlesnake dangerous?
Dangerous. Usually calm and slow to strike, but a bite is a medical emergency.
How do you identify a timber rattlesnake?
Dark V- or chevron-shaped bands across the back. Black tail ending in a rattle. Yellow, tan or dark phases; some are almost black.
When is the timber rattlesnake most active?
Most open US records fall in May to August.