Timber rattlesnake

species of reptile

The timber rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus) is a species of venomous Pit vipers. It lives in eastern United States of America. There are no subspecies currently recognized. It is the 2nd largest venomous snake found in the eastern United States.

Timber rattlesnake
At Zollman Zoo
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Viperidae
Genus: Crotalus
Species:
C. horridus
Binomial name
Crotalus horridus
Timber rattlesnake range[2]
Synonyms[3]
  • Crotalus horridus Linnaeus, 1758
  • Crotalus boiquira Lacépède, 1789
  • Crotalus atricaudatus Latreille In Sonnini & Latreille, 1801
  • Crotalus zetazomae Brickell, 1805
  • Crotalinus cyanurus
    Rafinesque, 1818
  • Crotalus catesbaei
    Hemprich, 1820
  • Crotalurus cyanurus
    – Rafinesque, 1820
  • Caudisona horrida
    – Fleming, 1822
  • Crotalus horidus Gray, 1825
    (ex errore)
  • Crotalus durissus var. concolor
    Jan, 1859
  • Crotalus durissus var. melanurus Jan, 1859
  • Crotalus durissus var. mexicana Jan, 1863
  • Crotalus fasciatus Higgins, 1873
  • Crotalus horridus var. atricaudatus Garman, 1884
  • Crotalus horridus
    Boulenger, 1896
  • Crotalus durissus cincolor
    Notestein, 1905 (ex errore)
  • Crotalus horridus horridus
    Gloyd, 1935
  • Crotalus horridus atricaudatus
    – Gloyd, 1935
  • Crotalus horridus
    Collins & Knight, 1980

Description

change
 
Timber rattlesnake

Adults usually grow up to the length of 91–152 cm (35.8-59.8 in). The longest to be reported was 189.2 cm (74.5 in) long. The large timber rattlesnakes weigh about 4.5 kg (9.9 Ib), but most weigh about 580-900 g (20-32 oz). Their scales are usually yellowish-brown or gray with dark brown or black stripes.

Where they live

change

They are found in woodlands and forests of eastern United States of America, from southern Minnesota and southern New Hampshire, south to east Texas and north Florida. During the summer pregnant females prefer open, rocky ledges, where the temperature is higher, while males and non-pregnant females spend more time in cooler woodlands with a closed forest canopy. Females usually bask in the sun before having babies in open rocky areas, known as "basking knolls". In the winter Timber Rattlesnakes hibernate in dens and caves.

Feeding

change

They mainly eat small mammals but they also eat birds, frogs, and other snakes like rattlesnakes. The most common snake they eat is the garter snake.

The timber rattlesnake is one of North America's most dangerous snakes. Before biting, they usually warn people by shaking their rattle at the end of their tail.[4][5]

Its venom contains a neurotoxin known as canebrake toxin, and is a phospholipase A2. It also contains a small basic peptide that works as a myotoxin, a fibrinogen-clotting enzyme that can produce defibrination syndrome, and a bradykinin-releasing enzyme.[4]

CroFab antivenom is used to treat envenomations from the timber rattlesnake.[5]

Conservation status

change

The timber rattlesnake is classified as least concern on the IUCN Red List.[6]

The timber rattlesnake is endangered in New Jersey, Vermont, Massachusetts, Virginia, New Hampshire, Indiana, and Ohio. It is threatened in New York, Connecticut, Illinois, Minnesota, and Texas.[7][8]

Timber rattlesnakes are extinct in Maine and Rhode Island. Only one population remains in New Hampshire. They are protected in many of the Appalachian states but their populations are still declining.[6]

Sources

change
  1. Hammerson GA (2007). Crotalus horridus. In: IUCN 2012. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2012.2.
  2. U.S. Geological Survey (2017). "Timber Rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus) rTIRAx_CONUS_2001v1 Range Map". Gap Analysis Project. doi:10.5066/F7BR8R5P.
  3. McDiarmid RW, Campbell JA, Touré T (1999). Snake Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference, Volume 1. Washington, District of Columbia: Herpetologists' League. ISBN 1-893777-00-6 (series). ISBN 1-893777-01-4 (volume).
  4. 4.0 4.1 Campbell, Jonathan A. (2004). The venomous reptiles of the Western Hemisphere. Lamar, William W., 1950-. Ithaca: Comstock Pub. Associates. ISBN 0-8014-4141-2. OCLC 52047308.
  5. 5.0 5.1 Poisonous snakes of the world. New York: Dover Publications. 1991. ISBN 0-486-26629-X. OCLC 22597231.
  6. 6.0 6.1 Hammerson, G. A. (2007-03-01). "IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Crotalus horridus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Retrieved 2020-09-18.
  7. "Massachusetts List of Endangered, Threatened and Special Concern Species". Mass.gov.
  8. "Indiana General Assembly - Indiana Register". iac.iga.in.gov. Retrieved 2020-09-18.