Ohio’s Endangered Timber rattlesnakes

The Timber Rattlesnake (Crotalus Horridus) is the most venomous snake located in the north eastern United States and one of three venomous snakes located in Ohio including the Northern Copperhead and Massasauga Rattlesnake with both rattlesnake species being listed as endangered. (OhioDNR) This snake is endangered in part due to habitat destruction and loss of den sites which they are used every year at the same location for the local snakes and their young.

The Timber Rattlesnake secrets a scent that is followed and used by their young every year to use the dens in which they are born and the deforestation of areas they are located and removal of these dens leads to many snakes without areas to overwinter contributing to their population decline in the region. This issue is directly impacted by FFW policies and many areas have protected den sites and prohibited recreational activities in den site areas to prevent possible den destruction as well as preserve areas for future populations to reproduce with the hope of bringing this large snake species out of the endangered species list.

The Ohio State park Hocking Hills has a program that tags and monitors Timber rattlesnakes to log and record their movements in their home range and between den sites to better estimated the appropriate areas that may need to be further protected in the future as well as monitor the populations stability in the area.

-(Personal Photo) Timber Rattlesnake tracked and observed at Tar Hallow during OSU Herpetology course 2018.

This snake species originally could be found in 24 counties Ohio but due to harvesting and habitat destruction they can be only found in small pockets of 8 counties today with less than fifty individuals. (OhioDNR) This snake species is the largest venomous snake Ohio has and possibly the most docile venomous snake in America with the above pictured rattlesnake showing no signs of defense posture or aggression with a group of individuals 3 feet from him. The Timber Rattlesnake like many other snake species help regulate rodent populations and provide food for other predators making them a vital part of the food web in their local areas, so the continued protection of their home ranges is vital to their continued existence.

There have been studies done with these snakes of relocating young individuals to other areas using their mothers pheromones to mark a new den site with limited success but further research and better habitat locations are needed to improve this for the future due to this snake being dependent on their home dens to survive the harsh winters in the areas they are located. The biggest contribution for these snakes continued monitoring and data obtained is from sighting by the public to better help study data collection to be obtained due to their low populations with the 2010 study only observing 23 live individuals. (OhioDNR)

The timber rattlesnake program in Tar Hallow is especially in danger due to its research not being considered useful by the Division of Forestry and only has a special use permit to continue research due to being labeled as harassment to the animals. (chillicothegazette) This program tracks and monitors the snakes in and around their home dens and is vital to research on why other populations may be seeing population declines. The letters sent by the Division of Forestry were in 2015 but as of 2018 they were still active in their efforts of tracking and monitoring the Timber Rattlesnakes located in Tar Hallow.

 

Works Cited

  • Nealeigh S. Tracking and protecting timber rattlesnake populations. Chillicothe Gazette. 2015 Aug 23 [accessed 2019 Jun 15]. https://www.chillicothegazette.com/story/news/local/2015/08/22/tracking-protecting-timberke-populati-rattlesnaons/32203703/
  • Wildlife ODNRDof. Ohio.gov / search. Ohio DNR Division of Wildlife. [accessed 2019 Jun 15]. http://wildlife.ohiodnr.gov/species-and-habitats/species-guide-index/reptiles/timber-rattlesnake

9 thoughts on “Ohio’s Endangered Timber rattlesnakes

  1. Currently (April 13, 2021) a Timber Rattlesnake is living outside under boards on the south end of my garage. I live in Chatham a town in the south west portion of Medina County, Ohio. I encountered possibly the same snake last summer season although it or this one is bigger.

    • That snake needs to be photographed for a positive ID. The question has to be asked if it is an escapee from someone’s collection, or if it is a Timber Rattlesnake for sure. Medina County is way out of the current range for this species. They are only found in 8 of the most southwestern counties.

    • They are the most deadly of the rattle snakes . Local hospital may not have the antidote. better check .Most deaths occur between 6 and 48 hours after the bite. If antivenom treatment is given within two hours of the bite, the probability of recovery is greater than 99%. When a bite occurs, the amount of venom injected is under voluntary control by the snake. If the antivenom is administered within two hours you have a 99% chance of recovery, but only a 1 in 50 million chance of being bitten in the first place. lol he’s not going to stay under that board though .It could be sleeping under your driver side door in the morning or on your font porch steps.

  2. My husband saw a Timber Rattlesnake when he removed the tarp from top of a compost pile yesterday afternoon(6.6.21)
    It had just molted. We are in Munson, ohio. Should o report this somewhere else for tracking purposes?

  3. I photographed and took video of a timber rattlesnake at Tar Hollow on July 26. It was on the Logan Trail South Loop near the power line right of way. It was taking deep, expanding breaths but otherwise seemed not to care about my presence. Happy to share details if it is helpful.

  4. In the 1960’s, my brother was bitten by a snake in Guernsey County, OH which is in Southeast OH and his friends, being with him, stoned it to death because they didn’t know what kind of snake it was. My parents took him and the dead snake to the emergency since he was having problems. At the hospital, they identified it as a Timber Rattlesnake and treated him with anti venom at that time and he recovered. The hospital staff told him he was fortunate that the snake had not injected all its venom in him. Since that time while growing up, I have never seen or heard of another in that area.

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