#timber rattlesnakes

[ruthlesslistener]

Hey hey hey. Do you wanna know a fact that makes me cry. Okay so timber rattlesnakes will guard their babies for a week after birth, but new research has shown that parental care still continues after the fact:

Babies under a year old will follow their mom's scent trail to the overwintering dens that the family uses, and will often den with their moms, siblings, and pregnant female relatives to survive the winter. They will almost always follow their mom's scent, but they will also sometimes follow the scent of another female closely related to them. It's not known if the female is deliberately laying down the scent trail, but its highly likely that she is. They also seem to recognize their littermates and will vastly prefer to congregate with them over non-kin individuals

Not only that, many rattlesnakes will also return to the same birthing dens and overwintering dens year after year, or will use sites close by if the original is no longer accessable. Moms guarding their babies also often be far more defensive than they normally are outside of breeding season, and will sometimes intercept their babies if they're moving towards danger, nudging them to the safety of their dens. There's also been many instances of rattlesnakes giving birth next to other rattlesnakes or pit vipers and raising their young peacefully in a communal 'nursery den', though studies into this behavior don't seem to have been done.

They have families, y'all

[daily-fun-animal-facts]

Timber Rattlesnakes

Timber Rattlesnakes survive the cold by brumating, which is a form of hibernation in some areas, many snakes - up to 100! - gather together to keep warm.

Timber Rattlesnakes and copperheads are pitvipers, which means they have a heat-sensing pit organ located between the eve and nostril on either side of the head.

[antiqueanimals]

Pennsylvania Reptiles and Amphibians. Illustration by Ned Smith. 1960s.

[booksinpiles]

Some neat facts about timber rattlesnakes in New England - from America’s Snake

[snototter]

A timber rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus) in Missouri, USA

by Douglas Mills

[uncharismatic-fauna]

Uncharismatic Fact of the Day

What's the best way to tell a rattlesnake's age? A common myth says to count the number of segments on its rattle. This isn't completely inaccurate; a baby rattlesnake is born with the first segment of its rattle, called a "button", and adds a new segment every time it sheds its skin. However, a rattlesnake may shed its skin several times a year, so by the time its one year old an individual may have between 4-7 segments in its rattle.

(Image: A timber rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus) by Suzanne Collins)

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[zoeflake]

This gorgeous timber rattlesnake was the highlight of today's hike!

[snakeswagbracket]

Hello timber rattlesnake! We shall love and admire you from over here at a respectable distance, as we can hear that you'd prefer us to come no closer. While your rattle is sadly feared and demonized in many areas across your range, we know that you evolved that wonderful rattle simply to be able to politely tell people to leave you alone so, in the hope that you won't have to resort to a bite to be able to get away! We thank you for trying to let us know when we are making you nervous, and for your dedication to clearly stating your boundaries we are thrilled to declare you the Snake Swag Bracket's COURTEOUS CUTIE!

[laomelettedufromage]

Some animal (but mostly herpetology) Valentine Cards I made through the power of Snapchat. NOT ALL IMAGES ARE MINE! Also some of these are inside jokes but I think they can still be appreciated.

[waytoomanyocstocount]

I'm giving Lucifer's hat snake a name and yoU CAN'T STOP ME-

[daisydoox0-blog]

This startled Timber Rattler gave me quite a rattle concert😅

[fatehbaz]

Rattlesnake roundup events in the United States.

The “World’s Largest Rattlesnake Roundup” occurs in Sweetwater, Texas, held annually in the month of March since at least 1958. Texas government agencies estimate that, each year, up to 24,000 pounds or more of rattlesnake will be “harvested.”

[antiqueanimals]

The First Book of Snakes. Written by John Hoke, illustrated by Paul Wenck. 1952.

[feralnumberfive]

Here's a large timber rattler my uncle found on the family property in central Iowa

[snototter]

A timber rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus) in South Carolina, USA

by Noah K. Fields

[thepinewarren]

xx. rattlesnake - 8.20.22 @nosebleedclub

This is for the found. For the ones who marked their boundaries and kept them. (If you hear a whistling, you have gone too far; will the rustle of dead leaves behind you is the last thing you will hear?) For those who watch and wait. (Do you think you see dark bands against the rocks? Or are your eyes lying to you?) For those who learned to pace themselves, to conserve their resources. (Do you feel a gaze upon you as you walk deeper in? Do you feel your live balanced upon the decision of a fang's edge?) For those who taught themselves how to let go. (If you find what has been shed and left behind, you are too close; will you find the den or will the den find you?)