After a lot of feedback let’s keep talking about Timber Rattlesnakes today. In the Northeast, Timber Rattlesnakes are extirpated in ME and RI and down to – at best – a handful of populations in NH, VT, MA and CT. They have a severely reduced range in NY. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention a grand total of about five people die per year from any venomous snake bite in all of America. The vast majority of those bitten have been harassing or aggressively attacking the snake without cause. Like nearly any other wild creature if you leave it alone it will leave you alone. They will not seek you out or pursue you in any way and they would only bite as a last resort while being antagonized or inappropriately handled – and you should never do that to any wildlife. Why would they want to waste their energy or venom on you? We saw a total of eight Timber Rattlesnakes yesterday and all were very passive, preferring to blend into their habitat in hopes we did not see them. You are statistically much more likely to be struck and killed by lightning…or from a dog bite! Later I’ll talk about how Timber Rattlesnakes help our forests and protect all of us from harm.
