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Roadhouse

Timber Rattlesnake

Crotalus h. horridus

On October 29, 2003 The Department of Environmental and Energy Protection confiscated Roadhouse from a home in Hartford, Connecticut. The owner of this rattlesnake claimed that at the time she was approximately 27 years old. The possession of timber rattlesnakes as pets is illegal because they are considered potentially dangerous.

The timber rattlesnake is one of Connecticut’s two venomous snakes. It is not an aggressive species and it is more likely to slither away then to strike. If the snake feels particularly threatened it will rattle its tail, which makes a sound similar to a baby rattle, to warn predators aware of their presence. Timber rattlesnakes are isolated to very small areas in Connecticut, making them a rare occurrence to encounter.

 10 Fun Facts about Timber Rattlesnakes

  1. They are listed as Endangered in Connecticut.
  2. Located at the front of their head, they have two heat sensing pits which allow them to see the heat emanating off their prey.
  3. As they grow, rattlesnakes get more rattles. However, these can fall off and are not an accurate way to age a snake. When first born they have one single rattle, which is referred to as the button.
  4. In the winter they congregate in communal dens, where all the rattlesnakes in a particular population will hibernate together.
  5. Although most snakes lay eggs timber rattlesnakes give live birth.
  6. There are a couple of different color phases one is a yellow phase with darker bands and the other is all dark bands and appears to be all black.
  7. The notorious rattling sound that is associated with rattlesnakes is mimicked by other species of snakes by shaking their tail in a pile of leaves to try and scare away potential predators.
  8. Timber rattlesnakes are one of the few snakes that exhibit maternal behavior towards their young.
  9. Even when first born rattlesnakes produce venom, which they can use to kill their prey.
  10. As with all other snakes, timber rattlesnakes do not have eyelids, however there is a scale that goes right over the eye.