Reptile & Amphibian Forums

So my dad came home from work the other day while i was over there visiting. He got out out of his truck and had some photos he wanted to show me.

To my displeasure there were photos of a dead timber rattler. Some people are so horrified of snakes they'd rather kill them on sight than preserve these magnificent animals. This one they killed was gorgeous, and been alive for many years. They killed it because it was in a vacation rental area in a beach town here in NC.

This is why we need to ensure that our generation, and future generations are educated as to the importance of snakes, otherwise too many will end up like this and we will not be able to see any alive in the wild. This is a pretty rare snake in our area, especially to find one so large.

I wish i woulda been there, I would have relocated him to the national forest where he'd be safe from people (hopefully).

Man- what a bummer! That thing is GORGEOUS!

People SUCK.

I know, here I am out there TRYING to find gorgeous animals like this for photos and at the same time folks are out there slaying them.

I plan on doing another road cruise this weekend maybe i'll get some good pics.

-jason

I wish i woulda been there, I would have relocated him to the national forest where he'd be safe from people (hopefully).

Unfortunately, relocation studies done with Timbers and other rattlesnakes have shown that relocated rattlesnakes do not just "settle in" to their new environments, regardless of how "perfect" they may be.

Apparently they are prone to wander incessantly around their new environment exposing themselves to dangers and not feeding. This is probably the same thing that happens to many WC snakes when brought into captivity.

I'm not suggesting that you let people kill them, but if you feel you have to relocate, do it as short a distance as possible. This is particularly important if you live in an area where Timbers hibernate in communal dens. If your relocated snake can't find its way to its natal den, it might not survive the winter.

The easiest solution is to relocate all the people from Timber habitat.

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Chris Harrison
San Antonio, Texas

Wow Chris!! I had no idea relocating could be just as harmful to the snake. I'm always amazed at how much one can learn here on this forum. Thanks for sharing that information. Happy herping!!

Jason