Characteristics:
    This is a large, nearly 6ft, venomous snake. Their thick body is usually gray, light yellow, or light brown with dark jagged bands. Often there is a rust brown strip that runs down the back of this snake. The tail in adults is totally black with a rattle on the end. Scales are heavily keeled. The rattle sets it apart from almost all other snakes in the area making it very easy to identify.


Habitat:
   Rocky hillsides and forested bluffs. This is a snake stays near their den sites all year round.


Behavior:
    One of the few venomous snakes in the area. This is IL and MO's largest venomous snake. They mate in mid-summer and give birth to live young in early fall. They eat a variety of small rodents such as mice and squrrels. The timber rattlesnake does not travel very far from the winter den all year. They are most often seen laying near the entrance to dens sunning. The biggest threat this snake faces is indiscriminate killing by humans. Numbers of this snake have been greatly reduced in IL and MO, and most populations are very fragmented.


Personal Remarks:
    A truly awe inspiring snake to see up close. This is a snake that commands a great deal of respect. While they are large and formidable looking, the timber rattlesnake is not the monster that it has been made out to be. When you see this snake in person and get to experience it on a personal level you quickly find out that this is a very passive snake that is more interested in being left alone than in biting people. Still, you always have to remember that it is a venomous snake and should always be treated with the utmost respect and caution.