Timber Rattlesnake
Crotalus horridus
Appearance 2
76-152 centimeters long. It is pale gray to tan with a red-brown stripe down its back and dark crossbands (bands that don’t cross the belly), often rigidly shaped. Its tail is a black rattle, although it may be small or absent on juveniles . It face is triangular and there is a pit between its eye and nose. It is venomous but not aggressive.
Habitat 2
Forests with rocky areas.
Behavior/Reproduction 2
During mating season, mid-July to October, males find females by scent. Males sometimes fight over courtship-rights to females, and they court females using a ritual where the male moves his chin along the female’s neck. After mating, females give birth to 1-20 live young the following autumn. Males mature at 4-6 years old; females mature at 7-13 years old.
They are solitary animals and are most active by day. They may wander far to hunt. When threatened they will rattle their tails. If the threat remains, they raise their head and neck, forming an s-shape, then move sharply toward their target with their fangs exposed. They hibernate in rock crevices for up to seven months of the year. They return to the same crevices yearly.
Fun Fact 2
Rattlesnakes can live up to 30 years. However, their long lifespan and late maturity make them vulnerable to endangerment.
Citations 2
http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/herpetology/fl-snakes/list/crotalus-horridus
http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/64318/0
http://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Crotalus_horridus/
Sources and Credits
- (c) Tad Arensmeier, some rights reserved (CC BY), http://www.flickr.com/photos/11304433@N00/484186958
- (c) gburg2016, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
More Info
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| Category | Amphibians and Reptiles |
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