Timber Rattlesnakes have been drastically reduced in population in many areas of the Northeast. This drop correlates extremely well to regions where Lyme Disease has skyrocketed due to high levels of ticks. The University of Maryland and Edward Kabay found that rattlesnakes hunted small mammals to the degree that it kept the disease in check in areas where the population is strong. A single adult male can consume 2,500-4,500 ticks every year! If Timber Rattlesnake populations were at historic levels throughout their previous range maybe none of us would have to worry about ticks on ourselves or our pets or Lyme Disease, Anaplasmosis, and the other diseases they can transmit. I have had Lyme Disease. Twan has had Lyme Disease. My dog had Anaplasmosis. These diseases will cause far more damage to human health and more fatalities, as they infect hundreds of thousands each year in the U.S., than a handful of ignorant people who provoke or maliciously handle rattlesnakes and get bitten. This is the function of an apex predator and why they are so vital to function of the entire food chain and our ecosystem.
