CNC Home to the Largest Known Timber Rattlesnake in Captivity

-- by Jenny Nicely

Most visitors taking a stroll down Snake Tale Alley almost always gasp and take a step back when they see the extra wide girth and long bulging body of one of our most “striking” snake ambassadors… Crotalus horridus. She is the largest known Timber Rattlesnake living in captivity. She came to CNC when she was surrendered from an illegal home where she had already grown to a beefy adult around 4 feet long. In her 10 years living here, she has increased in length to 5’4” long, and weighs in at a whopping 10lbs.! One would think that a snake so large would be frightening to handle. On the contrary, she is one of the most well behaved snakes in our collection. She is obviously well fed, has never made a strike, and rarely even rattles her tail. She eats one jumbo-sized rat every other week, which is a moderate diet for an adult Timber rattlesnake.

The Timber Rattlesnake is a top predator in the forest ecosystems of eastern North America and is found nowhere else in the world. The usual length is from 3 to 4.5 feet, but despite their size, cryptic coloration allows them to be easily concealed. Two color patterns are commonly found: a yellow phase and a black phase. Scales are ridged, giving this rattlesnake a rough-skinned appearance. The timber rattler has a broad, triangular head with many small scales on the crown of the head bordered by a few large scales. Like other members of the pit-viper family, the timber rattlesnake has a temperature- sensitive opening, or pit, on either side of the face between and a little below the eye and nostril. This sensory organ is used to detect prey and potential predators.

Timber rattlesnakes breed in the spring or fall, are ovoviviparous, and give birth to about a half dozen young inside individual membranes. The young are born in August or September and are 10 to 13 inches in length. When a baby timber is born it has a prebutton on the end of its tail. With the first shed, the prebutton is lost and is replaced by the first segment. Each time the snake sheds thereafter, another segment is added, producing the rattle. Because the snake receives a new segment with every shed, one cannot determine the age of the snake by the number of segments in its rattle. When vibrated, the rattle makes a buzzing sound to warn predators. Timbers are lie and wait predators using many senses to detect prey. Their diet consists of small mammals including mice, chipmunks, squirrels, voles, and shrews. Birds and their eggs (primarily ground nesters) are consumed at times.

Habitat loss and fragmentation are the chief threats facing Timber Rattlesnakes. While at one time the species was considered relatively ubiquitous across its range, most surviving populations today are considerably isolated. Human persecution and harvesting have also had devastating affects on this species. Timber Rattlesnakes are known to den communally, and in the same location year after year. Because of this, den sites are particularly sensitive areas and should be a high priority for protection. In some areas, Timber Rattlesnake levels have dropped to critically low levels as a result of dens being abused and used as activity centers from which to collect snakes. While the Timber Rattlesnake is venomous, it is not an aggressive species. In fact, the majority of documented bites have occurred while individuals were trying to pick the snakes up. If you should come across a timber rattlesnake in the wild, please do not try to capture or disturb it. Admire the snake from a distance only. They will usually hide or keep quiet while you go by. And the next time you visit the Nature Center, please stop by and take a long, hard and safe look at one of the most spectacular specimens of Timber Rattlesnake living today.

For information on sponsoring the “Largest Timber Rattlesnake Known in Captivity”, please call at 821-1160 ext. 105