Timber Rattlesnake
VenomousCrotalus horridus · also called canebrake rattlesnake, banded rattlesnake
The timber rattlesnake is the rattlesnake of eastern hardwood forest, and it is famously reluctant to bite. It is also in serious decline across the northeast, where it is protected in many states — killing one can carry a substantial penalty. Chevron bands and a jet-black tail identify it reliably.
Before anything else
- Back away and leave it alone. A snake that can see you leaving has no reason to bite. Most bites in the United States happen to people who picked up, cornered, or tried to kill a snake.
- Never handle a snake to identify it. Every identification on this site can be made from a photo or from several feet away.
- If someone is bitten, call emergency services now. Keep the limb still and below the heart, remove rings and watches, and go to hospital. Do not cut, suck, apply ice, or use a tourniquet — all of these make outcomes worse.
- Do not try to catch the snake for identification. A photo from a distance is enough, and hospitals treat symptoms rather than species.
In the US, the Poison Help line is 1-800-222-1222. This site is a reference, not medical advice.
Quick facts
- Venom
- Potent venom and long fangs make a bite a serious medical emergency. Protected in several states, so leaving it alone is both the safe and the legal choice.
- Adult length
- 30–60 inches (76–152 cm)
- Markings
- Dark V-shaped or chevron crossbands across a yellow, grey or brown ground, with a solid black tail ahead of the rattle. Some adults are so dark that the pattern is nearly invisible. Southern 'canebrake' animals often show a rusty stripe down the spine.
- Habitat
- woods, rocky, farmland
- Family
- pit viper
- Range
- 29 US states
How to identify a timber rattlesnake
- Dark chevrons or V-shapes pointing forward along the back, not diamonds.
- Solid black tail immediately ahead of the rattle.
- Often a rust-coloured stripe running down the spine.
- Very heavy-bodied for its length.
What it does when it sees you
Among the most placid of the rattlesnakes. Timber rattlesnakes commonly stay silent and motionless and may not rattle at all, relying on camouflage — which means watching where you put your hands and feet matters more than listening for a rattle.
What the timber rattlesnake is confused with
One test settles each of these.
The upturned pig-like snout is unmistakable, and hognose snakes have no rattle.
Water snakes lack a rattle and a black tail, and are found in and beside water rather than in dry forest.