Before striking, they often perform a good deal of preliminary rattling and feinting. In the vast majority of cases, snakes retreat when confronted rather than attack. These species like to remain active during the nights. Therefore, the female snake needs to maintain adequate body temperature. When the first platypus specimen was sent back to England from Australia in the late 18th century, the scientists who examined it thought that someone was playing a trick on them. But unlike snakes, a platypus’s venom isn’t in his teeth. Both genus names undoubtedly refer to the snakes’ characteristic rattles. CAPS ARE OR PHYSICAL REASONS. By vibrating the segments, the snakes create its distinctive rattling noise. The dorsal scales of the snake are keeled. [24], Generally, this species is found in deciduous forests in rugged terrain. They weigh on average between 0.5 Kg and 1.5 kg (1.1 and 3.3 lb), but large snakes can weigh as much as 4.5 kg or 9.9 lb. Timber Rattlesnake populations have declined drastically in the last 20 years. I needed to hike the Tongue Mountain Range, a peninsula that juts into Lake George in the eastern Adirondack Park, for a guidebook I was writing. This pair is made of carbon fiber, a super-strong and lightweight material. The length of these species varies from 91 to 137 cm. A member of the pit-viper family, a timber rattlesnake has “pits” on either side of its face below its eyes, which are temperature sensitive and help it sense when prey or predators approach. The ventral scales number 158–177 in males and 163–183 in females. In this situation, the background is decorated with v shaped black or dark brown color bands. If any kind of vibration occurs, the rattlesnake produces a humming sound. This is due to habitat loss, encroachment, poaching, and deliberate killings. It was difficult to tell the size of this one, but it was definitely mature, as big around as my wrist. A platypus’s bill has thousands of cells that give it a sort of sixth sense, allowing them to detect the electric fields generated by all living things. Although devoid of ears, the poisonous rattlesnakes can hear any kind any kind of sound. Timber rattlesnake is a species of poisonous snake found in the eastern United States. Very good article. A timber rattlesnake can grow up to 6.25 feet long, with average lengths between 3 and 5 feet. They’re shy and unaggressive, preferring to hide or, if moving, stick stubbornly to their course. Conservation Status of Timber Rattlesnake. Get exclusive deals, product news, reviews, and more with the Mental Floss Smart Shopping newsletter. This handy 67-piece kit is stuffed with all the things you hope your hiker will never need in the wilderness. West Virginia has honored timber rattlesnake as their state reptile in 2008. HE WAS ALREADY BACK TO SLEEP BEFORE I WAS OUT OF SIGHT. But the species population has been steadily decreasing over their historic range, mainly due to habitat destruction and other human activities. In some areas, timber rattlesnake hunting is regulated. Fast Facts Description The canebrake rattlesnake is a heavy-bodied snake. Benjamin Franklin thought that rattlesnakes embodied uniquely American diplomacy and toughness. In the northern part of their range, where they are the rarest, these cold-blooded herps are only active five months per year, from May to September. They are born with venom in their hollow fangs and a small “button” rattle. The ancient versions of a lot of modern animals, including penguins, were oversized monsters compared to the animals we know today—and platypuses are no different. The next stage is the dark stage where the yellow portion is decorated with thick black or dark brown bands that go across. Based on an analysis of geographic variation, Pisani et al. [19], Timber rattlesnakes are present in the eastern United States from southern Minnesota and southern New Hampshire, south to east Texas and north Florida. One of the most remarkable and weird aspects of the platypus—its ability to lay eggs—wasn’t discovered for another 100 years. Rattlesnakes take a different approach. “What’s this?” asked Liz, leaning toward something in the hollow of a rotting log. This means they give birth to live young after developing and retaining the eggs inside their bodies. These egg-laying mammals get their name from the hole that serves as both an anus and a urino-genital opening. The pregnant females are called basking knolls. Timber rattler, massasauga and canebrake rattlesnake are listed as threatened and endangered species. [31], The neurotoxic component of the type A venom is referred to as canebrake toxin, and is a phospholipase A2. Cobras, mambas, and other snakes inject their venom into their victims through a pair of proteroglyphous, or fixed, fangs near the front of their mouths. The pregnant females prefer to rest on the bare rocky ridges where the temperature i9s very high. In the summer, gravid (pregnant) females seem to prefer open, rocky ledges where temperatures are higher, while the males and non-gravid females seem to prefer cooler, thicker woods where the forest canopy is more closed. These venomous serpents have evolved one of nature’s most dramatic warning systems in their signature segmented rattles. disagree, many were present in some of the thick forest areas of central and southeastern Iowa, mostly within the Mississippi, Skunk, Iowa, and Des Moines River valleys, in several places in these areas; bites from timber rattlesnakes have been widespread, especially in a localized area of Geode State Park, in southeastern Henry County, along Credit Island Park, in southern Scott County, and in the forested areas of southern Clinton County. After the snake’s first shed of their skin, the pre-button gets replaced with a button, a larger, hourglass-shaped scale. Although still fairly common in some local areas, the timber rattlesnake has been extirpated or greatly reduced in numbers in most areas where it was once numerous due to unregulated collection and indiscriminate killing. The crossbands have irregular zig-zag edges, and may be V-shaped or M-shaped.