In the United States, your chances of getting killed by a rattlesnake —anyrattlesnake — arestatistically slim. That said, in the event of a bite, get to a hospital as soon as you can. (If possible, photograph the actual snake for identification purposes.)
When rattlers bite people, it's often a response to inappropriate handling. Give these reptiles their space and they can make great neighbors. Research published in 2013 suggests timber rattlesnakes may be doing us a huge favor by eating certain rodents which are known to spreadLyme disease.
Unfortunately,Crotalus澳洲has seen better days as a species.
Timber rattlers have gonelocally extinctin Michigan, Maine, Rhode Island and Delaware over the years. Meanwhile, there's only a single breeding population of them left in the entire state ofNew Hampshire.
Habitat loss, persecution by fearful humans and the overcollection of wild snakes for the pet trade have allcontributedto this decline. So has the rise of Snake Fungal Disease (SFD), aninfectious disorderthat can lead to blisters, clouded eyes and life-threatening skin lesions.
Slow maturity rates aren't helping. Timber rattlers can live into their thirties, but some females don't start reproducinguntil age 10. After she's given birth to her first litter, a mother timber might not have another one for three to five more years — or ever, really.
Today, the timber rattlesnake is considered "endangered" or "threatened" in12 states. Conservationists around the country are working hard to secure abrighter futurefor this great American serpent.