BARABOO NEWS REPUBLIC (Madison, Wisconsin) 20 January 07 Sauk County snake has new home (Scott De Laruelle)

People will have a chance for an up-close encounter with a timber rattlesnake that is quite at home in Sauk County — or at least was. The latest addition to Madison's Henry Vilas Zoo's venemous snake exhibit is from Spring Green.

According to the zoo, timber rattlers are typically found from Texas to Minnesota, and live in Wisconsin from the southwestern corner all the way north to Pierce County, including among the bluffs of Sauk County. The zoo's education coordinator, Rick Bilkey said of the 22 known snake species in Wisconsin, only two are venomous —the timber rattler and the rare, endangered Massasauga.

"We felt it was important to have one here to give people an opportunity to see what one actually looks like, since they are native and they are around," Bilkey said. "I hear about them up in the Baraboo Bluffs, so it's important people know what they look like, because we get calls all the time from people who see snakes."

The Department of Natural Resources provided the snake. DNR cold-blooded species manager Bob Hay said there are probably a few thousand rattlers in the state, but he said scientists cannot get a solid estimate because a thorough survey would be very expensive and difficult to carry out. Coming across a timber rattler in the wild is a rare occurrence, Bilkey said.

"I spend a lot of times in wooded areas, a lot in bluffs, and I've never seen one (in the wild)," he said.

Finding the rattlers are rare even in zoos.

"I've worked here 31 years and I don't remember ever having venomous snakes," Bilkey said.

Timber rattlers are considered threatened and are legally protected, Hay said, which means people cannot harass or pursue the snakes unless humans or livestock are in danger. He said the species is threatened for a number of reasons, mainly due to encounters with humans.

He said bounties on the venomous animals have taken their toll throughout the years, as have prescribed burning and brush and tree removal, which clears out their preferred habitat.

"We're really seeing this playing out much more these days from all the development occurring along bluff tops," Hay said. "What is resulting is an increasing number of encounters with people and snakes at (peoples') residences, as opposed to people encountering them by chance out in the woods. It typically results in the animal losing that (habitat)."

Hay said rattlers can live to their mid-20s and beyond, reaching as long as 5 feet. He said the timber rattler is a non-aggressive species but is still dangerous.

"Typically when you see one in the wild, they won't even rattle, they'll lay still, hoping their camouflage will help blend them in and the danger will pass," Hay said.

Vilas Zoo Director Jim Hubing said rattlers are not considered a threat to humans or livestock and usually live in remote bluff prairies and oak woodlands. Still, when you hear the rattle of a timber rattler, it is time for quick thinking, said Bilkey.

"That is a warning," he said. "They are letting you know you've come across them and you're too close to them. They don't always rattle before they strike… you can't count on hearing a rattle if you were unlucky enough to come across one."

Bilkey said only one person has died in the state from a venomous snake bite since 1900.

"There have been several people bitten, but it's rarely fatal," Bilkey said. "Anybody that is bitten should seek medical attention immediately, though, it's nothing to fool around with."

The timber rattler can be found in the Discovery Center's Herpetarium daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The zoo is open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Bilkey said the setting for the rattler is very realistic.

"It's got live plants in there and it looks just like a Wisconsin bluff — the setting you've got up around Baraboo," he said.
Sauk County snake has new home

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