Let’s learn more about this rattlesnake’s venom and the consequences of getting bitten. There are around 30 different species of rattlesnake in the world. These teeth feature two hollow fangs at the front of the jaw. Here we learn about it all. According to the American Academy of Neurology, timber rattlesnake venom can often cause myokymia in the victim’s face or limbs. “Rattles are segments of keratin that fit loosely inside one another at the end of the snake’s tail,” explained Sara Viernum, a herpetologist based in Madison, Wisconsin. Rattlesnakes can swim. Most bites result from people intentionally handling rattlesnakes and often involve the use of alcohol or drugs. The hemotoxins in the venom will prevent the wound from closing, giving the timber rattlesnake a trail of blood to follow. Rattlesnakes in this region can be identified as yellow phase (yellow or tan with black or brown cross-bands) or black phase (almost solid black with darker patterns). A timber rattlesnake has a dangerous bite with venom that is very harmful to humans. That’s why I set up snakesforpets.com – to answer every question that you could ever have about snakes as pets (and how they survive in the wild.) In reality, however, there are few reported cases of people being bitten by timber rattlesnakes. Rattlesnakes can strike 1/3 of their body length with accuracy. The same rules apply as to what you should do and not do if bitten. Jayne and Boyer advise individuals faced with similar reptilian dilemmas to leave the snake alone or call an expert to remove it. Presumably if you look like a rattlesnake and you sound like a rattlesnake you will be safer from predation. Their main body color may be yellow, tan, brown or gray. When a timber rattlesnake bites into its prey, its fangs unfold and come down onto the prey animal. The best plan is to remove the food that mice and rats eat. Anything resembling a long stick might be a rattlesnake. Rattlers are amazing creatures A male timber rattlesnake is heavier than a female. Timber rattlesnakes are … Also, the timber rattlesnake is nature’s pest control. Timber rattlesnakes den with other snake species during the winter, typically on south-facing slopes under talus or inside rock fissures. Timber rattlesnakes are long-live, with some reaching 45 or 50 years old, and by then have straight-sided rattles with almost no taper. Crotalus horridus. I live in Texas near a wooded area. If you're bitten by one it can be dangerous, but it's very rarely fatal. Close examination on the top of the head will reveal tiny scales on the western pygmy rattlesnake and large scales on timber rattlesnakes. The timber rattlesnake may then seek an escape route. Timber rattlesnakes feed largely on small mammals and birds, and like other pit-vipers, can detect prey with their infra-red heat sensory organs (pits). If natural selection favors neurotoxins over hemotoxins to slow down prey, those snakes will survive and breed. Along the southern edge of its territory, the timber rattlesnake has more neurotoxic venom. Hi, I'm Lou. However, timber rattlesnake bites are rare. When he was a kid, the bounty was still in effect. Take care around water. Venom is also the timber rattlesnake’s primary defense against threats. The timber rattlesnake, canebrake rattlesnake or banded rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus), is a species of venomous pit viper endemic to eastern North America. Rattlesnakes are venomous. Timber rattlesnakes can live over 30 years. In an area like you describe where rattlesnakes occur and campers are there, I think a good investment for the facility would be a good pair of snake tongs for just such an emergency. Do not provoke a rattlesnake. Timber rattlesnake venom allows the snake to bite and release its prey. Also luckily, the vet had antivenom. 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