A coiled timber rattlesnake with dark crossbands. — Photo: Peter Paplanus, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Timber Rattlesnake

Crotalus horridus

A large rattlesnake of the eastern U.S. that waits patiently in ambush and has been found climbing 80 feet up trees.

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About the Timber Rattlesnake

Timber rattlesnakes are heavy-bodied pit vipers that usually grow 2.5 to 5 feet long, sometimes up to 7 feet. They are gray, sometimes pinkish, with a stripe down the back. They live across the eastern half of the United States, from Kansas and Texas to New England. They eat mostly mice, shrews, chipmunks and squirrels, plus birds, lizards and amphibians.^[1]

Quick facts

Scientific name: Crotalus horridus^[1]
Size: Usually 2.5 to 5 feet; up to 7 feet.^[1]
Diet: Carnivore. Mice, shrews, chipmunks and squirrels, plus birds, lizards and amphibians.^[1]
Habitat: Forests and rocky areas.^[1]
Where it lives: Eastern half of the United States.^[1]
Group life: Alone or in shared winter dens.^[1]
Babies: 3 to 13 live young every 2 to 3 years.^[1]
Conservation status: Least Concern (IUCN Red List, assessed 2007).^[2]

Fun facts

Timber rattlesnakes have been found more than 80 feet up in trees.^[1]
Newborns have only one button on their rattle.^[1]
It is also called the canebrake and the timber rattler.^[1]

Vocabulary

pit viper: A venomous snake with heat-sensing pits on its face, such as a rattlesnake or copperhead.
viviparous: Giving birth to live young instead of laying eggs.
ambush predator: A hunter that hides and waits for prey to come close.
venomous: Able to inject poison by biting or stinging.
least concern: A conservation label meaning a species is widespread and not at risk of dying out soon.

See it in person

Smithsonian's National ZooWashington, D.C. · Reptile Discovery CenterSee this animal on the zoo's website ↗

These zoos had this animal when we gathered our information, but animals sometimes move. Check the zoo's website or contact the zoo before you visit.

Sources

[1] Smithsonian's National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute. “Timber rattlesnake.” https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/timber-rattlesnake (accessed 2026-10-08)
[2] IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. “Crotalus horridus (Timber Rattlesnake).” https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/64318/12765920 (accessed 2026-10-08)

Facts last checked 2026-10-08.

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