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Timber Rattlesnake Observation
Attention Hunters, Hikers, and Birders!
Your Help is Needed!
For the past several years, it has been rumored that the Division of Wildlife has been releasing timber rattlesnakes into the wild in Ohio. This is ABSOLUTELY NOT TRUE! What is true is that the timber rattlesnake is on the Ohio list of endangered species, is designated as endangered or threatened in 17 other states, and is being considered for special status by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
While current efforts to protect the timber rattlesnake are helping, the population has been slow to rebound because of the snake’s low reproductive rate. Although timber rattlesnakes can live more than 20 years, females do not breed until they are five to 11 years old, and then not again for two to six years. Typically, eight young are born in each litter and only two or three survive their first year.
In the early 1800s, timber rattlesnakes were found in at least 24 Ohio counties. As a result of habitat destruction, human persecution, and unregulated collection, they today reside in only a few southern counties in the state. The timber rattlesnake has two basic color phases. The light phase is typically gray, light brown, or yellow, with a series of black chevron-shaped crossbands along the back. The dark phase has the crossbands over a blackish-brown background. In Ohio, an adult timber rattlesnake is about 40 inches in length and eight inches around.
Despite their relatively large size, timber rattlesnakes are not aggressive and many people have probably walked by one without noticing it. Rather than strike when threatened, the timber rattlesnake prefers to slip away or rely on its protective coloration to avoid detection.
The timber rattlesnake is one of Ohio’s last remaining wilderness species. The Division of Wildlife needs hunters, hikers, birders, and other conservationists to help this rattlesnake survive. If you encounter a rattlesnake while in southern Ohio, please don’t disturb it. Also, you can help our biologists determine the snake’s current status by filling out the adjacent form and mailing it to the Division of Wildlife.
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