Timber RattlesnakeCrotalus horridusAPPEARANCELength: 36 to 40 inches (91 to 101 cm)Weight: 1.3 to 2 pounds (0.58 to 0.9 kg)Distinguishing Characteristics• Heavy, light yellow, gray or greenish-white body• Rust-colored strip along length <strong>of</strong> back• Black tail tipped with rattles• Yellow eyes with elliptical or cat-like pupils• Marked with 20-29 dark, V-shaped crossbars with jaggededges across backLIFE HISTORYRange: Upland woods and rocky ridges in theeastern United <strong>State</strong>s; the eastern third<strong>of</strong> TexasDiet: Rabbits, squirrels, rats, mice and occasionallybirds, other snakes, lizards and frogsPredators: Coyotes, bobcats, skunks, foxes, hawksand owls and snake-eating snakes suchas king snakes, indigo snakes and cottonmouthsSexual maturity: At three years for males and up to fouryears for femalesMating season: In early spring; only once every two tothree years for femalesEggs: Timber rattlers, like other pit vipers, donot lay eggs. Instead the eggs are keptinside the female’s body until the eggsare ready to “hatch.”Incubation: Estimated six monthsYoung: Litters consist <strong>of</strong> between five and 20young, which are 10 to17 inches long(25 to 43 cm). Young may remain neartheir mother for seven to ten days afterbirth, but no parental care is provided.Life span: Up to ten yearsHABITATTimber rattlesnakes prefer moist lowland forests and hilly woodlandsor thickets near permanent water sources such as rivers,lakes, ponds, streams and swamps where tree stumps, logs andbranches provide refuge.BEHAVIORAlthough diurnal (active during the day) during spring and fall,timber rattlesnakes become nocturnal (active at night) duringthe oppressive heat <strong>of</strong> the summer. <strong>The</strong>y will coil beside a fallentree or log and wait for their quick-moving prey to pass. Pitvipers can develop an appetite for certain prey—some spendtheir lives eating only birds or chipmunks while others will eat avariety <strong>of</strong> foods. <strong>The</strong>ir interest and appetite seems to be shapedby killing a particular prey early in life.Highly venomous, timber rattlesnakes are sometimes slow todefend themselves and rely on their ability to blend into theirsurroundings to avoid confrontation. <strong>The</strong>y seek to escape ratherthan risking danger and will remain silent, and if possible, willhide before revealing their position to a predator. Despite theirlarge size and reputation, they are difficult to provoke intorattling or biting. Still, it does happen. It is best not to take anychances with such a potentially deadly snake. If one is bitten,seek immediate medical attention.NOW YOU KNOW!• According to legend, one can tell the age <strong>of</strong> a rattlesnake bythe number <strong>of</strong> rattles present at the end <strong>of</strong> its tail. A babyrattlesnake is born with the first segment <strong>of</strong> its rattle, calleda “button.” As the snake grows (and with each molting <strong>of</strong> itsouter skin) an additional segment is added to its rattle.Younger snakes shed more <strong>of</strong>ten than older snakes, but onaverage, free-ranging snakes may molt three to six times ayear. Another clue to a snake’s age is its color: timber rattlersdarken as they age, and the darkest are old males.• <strong>The</strong> scientific name, Crotalus horridus, is formed from twoLatin words: crotalum, meaning “bell or rattle,” andhorridus, for “dreadful”–which makes reference to its venom.TIMBER RATTLESNAKESAND PEOPLEAlthough many timber rattlers meet their deaths at the hands<strong>of</strong> people or by automobiles, the fastest way to kill timber rattlesnakepopulations is by destroying or altering the places theyneed to hunt, hibernate and live. Today, every state inhabited bytimber rattlesnakes has laws protecting the species, includingTexas. In Texas, it is listed as a threatened species. This meansthat people cannot take, transport, have in their possession orsell timber rattlesnakes.PWD LF D0200-848V (8/02) NOTICE: Texas Parks and Wildlife Department receives federal financial assistance from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Under Title VI <strong>of</strong> the Civil Rights Act <strong>of</strong> 1964, Section 504 <strong>of</strong> the RehabilitationAct <strong>of</strong> 1973, Title II <strong>of</strong> the Americans with Disabilities Act <strong>of</strong> 1990, the Age Discrimination Act <strong>of</strong> 1975, and Title IX <strong>of</strong> the Education Amendments <strong>of</strong> 1972, the U.S. Department <strong>of</strong> the Interior and its bureaus prohibit discriminationon the basis <strong>of</strong> race, color, national origin, age, disability or sex (in educational programs). If you believe that you have been discriminated against in any Texas Parks and Wildlife Department program, activity, or facility, or if youdesire further information, please call or write: <strong>The</strong> U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office for Diversity and Civil Rights Programs - External Programs, 4040 N. Fairfax Drive, Webb 300, Arlington, VA 22203, (703) 358-1724.
TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFESweetgumLiquidambar styracifluaPHOTO BY BRENT HOLUBECAs one <strong>of</strong> the most common hardwoods in southern forests, sunlovingsweetgum provides shade for smaller understory plantsand animals, while its leaves provide brilliant fall colors. It occursnaturally in the East Texas <strong>Pineywoods</strong> ecosystem, but has beenintroduced as a landscape tree in other parts <strong>of</strong> the state.
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