Timber Rattlesnake VENOMOUS!

Other Names: Banded Rattlesnake, Velvet-tail Rattlesnake, Canebrake Rattlesnake
Scientific Name: Crotalus horridus
Family: Crotalidae
Return to Venomous Snake Identification

Description & Size

Legless
No eyelids
Lacks external ears
Each scale has a prominent ridge in the middle (strongly keeled)
Rattle present on end of the tail
Pit on each side of the head between the nostril and eye
Vertical elliptical pupils
Total length: 90.0-189.2 cm (34.5-74.5 in)
Back color: tan, gold, or light brown
Often has a black tail
Black cross banding pattern on the back

Habitat

Deciduous woodlands
Rocky outcrops

Diet

Small mammals

Life History

Diurnal and Nocturnal
Active season: early April – late fall
Breeding season: August – September
Gives live birth
10-16 young per female (Gibbons, 1972)