Shiver Me Timbersssss!!

One of the maintainer crews on the worktrip April 21 came across a Timber Rattlesnake and took these pictures (photo credit to Christina W.):

A close encounter with a Timber Rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus) can certainly send a shiver or two or three up your spine. Most of us who have been maintaining for any length of time have had an encounter with at least one Timber Rattlesnake ….. some encounters closer than others. 'Rattlesnake Road' (now by-passed by Yellow Jacket Ridge) acquired that name some years ago when one of the sawyers was struck in the chaps by a Timber Rattler while toting a chainsaw up the roadbed during the Konnarock Humpback AT Relo project. Luckily for the sawyer, the snake probably got the worst of the run-in by hitting the kevlar chaps ….. we'll never know for sure because the snake didn't stop to chat – he bounced off the chaps and kept on going. The sawyer was fine and is still cutting down Big Tree(s). Despite this dramatic encounter, most of the other snake/human meetings have been considerably more low-key.

Counting up the times I've had encounters with Timbers, either hiking or maintaining, I can easily recall 6 (at least). The snakes have been different sizes and colorations. The largest, most impressive Timber I've seen was beside the AT on the way to the shelter and was so dark he almost looked black - that was one serious-looking snake! Another Timber, seen just off the AT in Shenandoah National Park on a hike, was definitely 'yellowish' and also a large one - about as big around as my forearm. What I did not know, until I started looking at info for this post, was that Timbers come in two color phases, black and yellow. This certainly explains why the Timbers I've seen have varied so much in coloration.

In the interest of getting less 'cold shivers' and knowing more about a snake we're likely to meet while out maintaining, here's some good information on the Timber Rattlesnake:

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Video:  Timber Rattlesnake Survey

"On a rattlesnake survey in Virginia's Allegheny Mountains led by David Garst, a Virginia Tech graduate student, VDGIF biologist Mike Pinder and VDGIF cameraman Ron Messina were able to find and photograph both black and yellow color phase adult rattlesnakes, as well as several neonates (newborn) animals ........  This video follows Garst as he conducts a rattlesnake survey for a research project that will ultimately help the Department better understand issues challenging timber rattlesnakes and provide recommendations on how to protect them."

PDF:     Video Transcript

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DGIF Timber Rattlesnake Info - Has Color Phase Descriptions, etc.
DGIF - Wildlife Information - Timber Rattlesnake

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How researchers track Timber Rattlesnakes:

Researchers Track Declining Timber Rattlesnakes

SNAKE BITE:

Venomous Snakebites in the United States: Management Review & Update

Info at the above link:

• Venomous Snakes Common in the United States
• Snake Envenomation
• Symptoms of Snakebite Envenomation
• Snakebite First Aid
• Treatment
• Antivenin Indications & Administration
• Grading Scale for the Severity of Snake Bites
• Surgical Management
• Patient Info Handout: Snakebite Prevention and First Aid (list form, would make a good carry-along printout)