THIS IS THE BEST FOOTAGE OF A CHARISMATIC SPECIES I HAVE EVER VIEWED. THIS NEEDS TO BE INCORPORATED IN A COMMUNITY EDUCATION CAMPAIGN ALL OVER NEW ENGLAND AND THE NORTHEAST. ABSOLUTELY OUTSTANDING!!!!!
One of the best compliments I have received on any of my videos! Thanks! I worked really hard putting this together and my ultimate goal was to educate , while attempting to keep the video interesting and entertaining , a combination that is really difficult to achieve and there are certainly many filmmakers out there that nail it repeatedly. I am proud of this docu however, and despite all the late night hours that went into it, I thoroughly enjoyed the whole editing process, because I felt like I was creating something worthy.
Thankfully, as wild animals go, they are quite passive and out of the couple thousand rattlesnake encounters I have had, only one has struck out. I try my best to watch where I always place my hands and feet, because it is usually the snake you don't see that could result in an accident.
@@VenomCentral Thank you!! I tried my best to include my observations over the years with that of repeatable research . And yes secrecy is paramount..in fact near the top of the ridge I had some difficulty filming, trying to get decent footage, but without showing the valley and potential landmarks.
Beautiful footage! I appreciate how much you respect these amazing creatures, thank you for presenting them for what they are: beautiful, necessary, and deserving of our respect! More please!
Thank you. Beautifully filmed, very informative. I truely enjoyed the kind and sensitive way you presented the life cycle of these lovely creatures. Although I do not wish to meet this snake in person, I am happy to see them here! Watching the neonates (babies) wriggling and tumbling around was an especial treat.
Thank you Regina! They are one of my favorite animals and I tried to do this species justice and put together something creative, yet informative . I am glad that you enjoyed it...and my favorite part was the tumbling pile of neonates.
@@lotterhand Thanks! I wonder if you are able to help me access some up to date info regarding the cost and availability of snake antivenom. My understanding is that it is not profitable for pharm companies to produce, given the expense of manufacture, and that it must be specific to the snake ( or type of snake). In a wealthy country, like the US, this is not as much of a problem as it is in poorer, tropical areas, where people cannot afford treatment. But rural people, farm workers, etc in these areas may have much more exposure. However, UA-cam has made me aware that certain people in the US are also in need of antivenom because they keep exotic (non-North American) snakes. If you have access to any info, suggestions for websites, etc.,that would be very helpful. Thanks.
3:07 is awesome. That animal is genuinely curious about the smell of the camera in its den. "Mmmm, what is this?" Really wonderful footage! Very documentary-like. 😊
In the age of self grandizing so called "herping" videos it is good to see someone representing the snake and not themselves. Great job in presenting the facts and providing great video footage of "horridus" on their own terms in their own environment. Looking forward to viewing and sharing your other videos. I agree with the comment below that your footage is very worthy of being used in Reptile conservation efforts. Will pass them along to the people I know. Thanks
Thank you Robert for the support and encouragement! I always keep conservation in mind with the difficult and sometimes contradictory approaches of trying to make the content interesting in a age of social media and short attention spans. I won't always get the balance right, but I am buoyed by your input.
I'm glad to see someone that appreciates such a misunderstood species of animal. The Timber Rattlesnake is one of, if not my favorite reptile. I'm fortunate to live in northeast Tennessee where I'm able observe these jewels here and in western North Carolina every year. I've been lucky enough to observe some of the same individuals year after year. One male that I've seen 4 years in a row now has only added one segment to his rattle during this time. This shows just how slow their growth rate is, at least in the higher elevations where this snake resides, (over 5000 feet ). This snake has always looked healthy every time I've seen him and has retained his button since birth. It makes me wonder how often this animal secures a meal. They are truly an amazing creature.
Thank you Doug and thanks for sharing. I'm envious that you get to observe horridus with such spectacular vistas. I do need to pay more attention to individual snakes..I take enough images and videos of them, it would be fairly easy to confirm which snakes I have repeatedly seen over the years .
Mark Lotterhand Timbers are so cool. We don’t have em in this part of Texas but we do have Sisturus Catenatus Tergeminus I just wished people would stop killing EVERY SINGLE snake. If I’m out just Herping around flipping I’ll find occupied rats nests EVERYWHERE. That’s from killing off all the Atrox.
This is fantastic work man! I might be interning in the Smoky Mountains this summer and if I do I'm going to try and find some big congregations of Timber Rattlesnakes. This video definitely helped. Keep up the great work!
Thank you and good luck! I would love someday to observe timbers in the southern Appalachians. These animals really do inhabit some of the most scenic areas in the East!
Thanks Chris! I would love to see Prairie rattlesnakes at their northern range! In 2018 I was privileged to visit the Narcisse Snake Dens in Manitoba and want to explore more of the western provinces.
Colorado’s rookery appears to have 60 western rattlesnakes gestating right now. That’s just an estimate from what I can see on the nature cam aka rattlecam. Very cool..
Amazing and incredible camera captures !!! One of my favorite species of ALL snakes that are an endangered species so Rattlesnake conservation is vital to their existence !!
1softkiss thank you! One of my favorite snakes as well, although that is probably obvious lol. Overall I want to switch gears and focus more and more highlighting the importance of conserving this often misunderstood animal.
@@lotterhand Snakes certainly are so VERY misunderstood and it breaks my heart to know they are so vulnerable and yet so easily abused and slaughtered by people :(
@@lotterhand So few realize how intelligent snakes really are and what fantastic social animals they can be if respected and given a great quality of life !! Snake cognition matures with their exposure to everything and everyone in their environment :) It blows my mind because snakes have no animosity toward people they are just curious creatures that defend their lives and their goal in life is to thrive and reproduce and I'll never understand why people have to impose themselves into the snakes natural lives but they can be observed with respect !!
@@lotterhand You're certainly most welcome !! I've been an active member of RARR for many years on Facebook Rise Against Rattlesnake Roundups and Todd Autry is an old and great friend of mine. ;)
Beautiful footage, very informative, simply wonderful. The presentation could not have been done any better. Amazing. With your other work, you should make a DVD collection. Thank you for diving deep into the world of these wonderful beings. Sadly, due to population decline, the Timber Rattlesnake is a protected species in some eastern states. You are very correct, protect the location of their dens. I have found a few here in VA.
Thank you! This video and others before it was a build up to my most comprehensive video on timber rattlesnakes. If you haven't seen it and are interested ua-cam.com/video/PwndBNY-EoA/v-deo.html
Great video and footage. Your book arrived today and I'm a few chapters in. It's excellent so far. It's interesting how it's more common to see timber rattlesnake neonates than copperhead neonates, despite timber rattlesnakes being the more rare species. My father will enjoy your book, especially the first chapter. He's a bird watcher, but I'm turning him on to snakes. :)
Thank you and I’m glad you are enjoying the book so far and I hope father does as well. I have always been somewhat astonished how much more visible timber rattlesnakes neonates are compared to copperheads, especially at den sites and I only recall every seeing a few copperhead babies at any hibernacula. They are masters of camouflage and is probably the reason they are the most common snake in parts of their range!
Great video! This is just my opinion, but I think they find sustenance in water, and sunlight when food is scarce. I know they need protein , but finding minerals in mountain water, and certain vitamins from the sun, could pull them through rough times?
Dawn, I am sure the UVA/UVB from the sun aids in pregnancy someway, it anything it certainly helps strengthen their immune system at a time when they are under physiological stress during pregnancy.
I think that's what I was getting at lol, sometimes I wonder where, how, they find enough food. From birth to adult. The woods are teaming with with prey, just because I don't see it, doesn't mean it isn't there lol. I'd love to be able to observe their feeding habits throughout life, that would be interesting!
@@dawned-on-you there are certainly lots of rodents out there. Going up as a kid I would always set small Havahart traps, and in all types of habitat, I would consistently catch something...shrews, voles, moles, and deer mice.
Thank you for these fabulous videos! I'm obsessed with learning as much as i can about Timbers after seeing my first two in June of 2020 in southwest Wisconsin. I understand that winter dens and birthing rookeries are "generational". So, how are new dens established? And, how is genetic diversity maintained? Thank you!
Thanks John! I would love to see Wisconsin horridus someday. So despite dens and rookeries being generational they are historically not fixed (or at least before Europeans arrived). In fact, after the last glacial retreat 15,000 thousand years ago timber rattlesnakes migrated and established dens from the SE coastal plain all the way to Canada. In one human lifetime, dens seem fixed, and some are used for perhaps centuries, but members from one den, likely young animals or babies may get "lost" and establish a nearby den and so there used be a lot of overlap from one den to another..a branching out effect, where maybe initially one den exists in a given area and then over a period of decades satellite dens appear. I know of a man made structure that in 40 years, timber rattlesnakes abandon two nearby natural ledge dens and have used the man structure exclusively as a hibernaculum. Regarding large healthy rookeries, in many cases they are fed by more than one den which I suspect some babies even from the same litter may end up migrating to different dens, helping to maintain genetic diversity. Also males, which can travel upwards of four miles will mate with females from distant dens. The issue today, is that many dens/populations are fragmented and cut off by human development so there is no regional movement across landscapes which is vital for the species survival.
This is a beautiful video, Mark. It's absolutely exquisite in its artistry as well as its profound educational value. My questions for you are: Are these snakes really so shy that you aren't in much danger of being bitten? When I hiked in New Mexico, Illinois and California, snakes were always a near-constant danger, usually diamondbacks or Mojave greens (among other pit vipers). How were you able to get so close (aside from telephoto lenses) and stay safe? I hope you are ALWAYS safe as you study these beautiful reptiles.
Thank you for the compliment..I am humbled. Diamondbacks and Mojave rattlesnakes are more defensive than timber rattlesnakes overall, but that being said there , complacency can be dangerous. Some of the footage were cameras left on site and retrieved later. I try to be as safe as possible and try not let my guard down despite the fact that most timber rattlesnakes will not strike if unprovoked. Out of 2,000 encounters, I have had only one strike at me. I was well out of range because the animal was so worked up (felt vulnerable as it was crossing a trail) that I literally thought at the time , I think this snake may strike. My concern are the snakes I don't see! I can't tell you how many times I was so focused on photographing/filming one or more rattlesnakes/copperheads and didn't realize until after that I was within inches of a pit viper. All I can do is try to be vigilant of my surroundings.
@@lotterhand Thank *you* for answering my questions -- much appreciated. There is a special kind of snake-proof boot, which I think are called Corduras. Do you wear those or any other kind of protective equipment? I'm always curious, because I used to hike in an abandoned brick-making facility with extremely tall hills of cast-off bricks. I wore knee-high boots made of thick leather. I didn't wear gloves, because my thinking was, "If I'm bitten, I want the snake to be able to pull away quickly." Didn't want to risk it getting snagged in thick rawhide gloves. Both rattlers and copperheads were an issue in those days.
@@cardinalrobbins9453 I wear ankle high boots and denim..certainly not as protective as snake guards or boots, but I sacrifice some safety for flexibility. I carry a 50 pound back pack up very steep terrain, always at risk of losing my balance and I fear that snake boots or guards would make it worse. I honestly worry most about my hands/arms since I am often crouched low filming/photographing. Life is a risk, and if anything, falling and breaking my neck or getting into a car accident on my long commute from MA to NY are exceedingly more likely to happen. You were very smart to be cautious, especially in a broken down man made structure...a haven for snakes, especially copperheads.
There have been sightings of rattlesnakes in the mid to southern Willamette Valley of Oregon. I understand that they prefer south facing rocky slopes for dens and basking. Some of these hillsides are now being used for rock quarries which I'm sure disturbs if not destroys their dens. What do rattlesnakes do if their den is destroyed?
I assume you are referring to the northern Pacific rattlesnake. You are correct, dens face in a southerly direction. Northern latitude communal denning snakes show strong site fidelity, so if their ancestral den is completely destroyed it will likely be a catastrophic event for the local population. Timber rattlesnake dens here as well have been gutted during the construction of rock quarries with disastrous results.
Yes unfortunately, timber rattlesnake have been extirpated from many areas of their former range, especially in southern Canada and large swaths of New England.
@@lotterhand that leaves three species of Rattlesnakes in Canada, Different spellings but the Massasauga Rattlesnake in Ontario, The Prarie Rattlesnake in Saskatchewan and Alberta, And the Northern Pacific Rattlesnake in British Columbia,
@@squamishfish Yes, and talk about timing, I am literally in the process of planning a trip to Alberta to see prairie rattlesnakes in Alberta. In 2018, I had the privilege to visit the Narcisse snake dens in Manitoba....which topped my bucket list! I have always been intrigued by reptiles that live north of 45 degrees latitude and hope to spend more time in Canada in the coming years!
Shooter Mcgee are you sure the young snakes you were encountering were born that year? I personally have never heard of litters being born in July. Usually gravid females give birth from late August to mid-September throughout the Northeast.
@@lotterhand. Well I assume they are since they ate so small. I found them in the same spot 3 years in a row. If they were born the year prior I'd have to assume they'd be over a foot.
@@shootermcgee628 Is it possible that you are finding eastern massasauga rattlesnakes?? If so, a much more of an impressive find..and rare, endangered in fact
Hey man I watched a couple of your videos. You are very knowledgeable and do great work. I live in Pittsburgh, and know of 2 dens that I won't mention the area because you know why. I would love to meet you and take you there nd learn from you. Send a reply on here and we can talk
It is great question. Honesty I'm not sure if they do, but I have never stumbled upon any research or field accounts that suggest they practice communal birthing.
THIS IS THE BEST FOOTAGE OF A CHARISMATIC SPECIES I HAVE EVER VIEWED. THIS NEEDS TO BE INCORPORATED IN A COMMUNITY EDUCATION CAMPAIGN ALL OVER NEW ENGLAND AND THE NORTHEAST. ABSOLUTELY OUTSTANDING!!!!!
One of the best compliments I have received on any of my videos! Thanks! I worked really hard putting this together and my ultimate goal was to educate , while attempting to keep the video interesting and entertaining , a combination that is really difficult to achieve and there are certainly many filmmakers out there that nail it repeatedly. I am proud of this docu however, and despite all the late night hours that went into it, I thoroughly enjoyed the whole editing process, because I felt like I was creating something worthy.
Excellent commentary.....very captivating! I was at the gas station blocking the pump to watch the rest of the footage!
One leave falls off the tree and I'm high stepping it. Holy Moly. How do you keep so calm around all that camo and huge snake population.
Thankfully, as wild animals go, they are quite passive and out of the couple thousand rattlesnake encounters I have had, only one has struck out. I try my best to watch where I always place my hands and feet, because it is usually the snake you don't see that could result in an accident.
they're so variable, I wouldn't have thought they were even the same species. cute little babies.
Yes, timber rattlesnakes, especially at their northern range can vary considerably in both pattern and coloration!
Great video. Nice work. I have been watching Timber sites for many years and you hit this out of the park. Correct information !!!!!
And if I was you I would keep the location private. To many people want to go and make videos at sites and that is not good.
@@VenomCentral Thank you!! I tried my best to include my observations over the years with that of repeatable research . And yes secrecy is paramount..in fact near the top of the ridge I had some difficulty filming, trying to get decent footage, but without showing the valley and potential landmarks.
Incredible footage, editing, everything. Really enjoyed this
I really appreciate it! Thank you!
Beautiful footage! I appreciate how much you respect these amazing creatures, thank you for presenting them for what they are: beautiful, necessary, and deserving of our respect! More please!
Thank you Lauren, I truly welcome your interest and support!
Thank you. Beautifully filmed, very informative. I truely enjoyed the kind and sensitive way you presented the life cycle of these lovely creatures. Although I do not wish to meet this snake in person, I am happy to see them here! Watching the neonates (babies) wriggling and tumbling around was an especial treat.
Thank you Regina! They are one of my favorite animals and I tried to do this species justice and put together something creative, yet informative . I am glad that you enjoyed it...and my favorite part was the tumbling pile of neonates.
@@lotterhand Thanks! I wonder if you are able to help me access some up to date info regarding the cost and availability of snake antivenom. My understanding is that it is not profitable for pharm companies to produce, given the expense of manufacture, and that it must be specific to the snake ( or type of snake). In a wealthy country, like the US, this is not as much of a problem as it is in poorer, tropical areas, where people cannot afford treatment. But rural people, farm workers, etc in these areas may have much more exposure. However, UA-cam has made me aware that certain people in the US are also in need of antivenom because they keep exotic (non-North American) snakes. If you have access to any info, suggestions for websites, etc.,that would be very helpful. Thanks.
How does this video only have 11k views?? This footage is amazing!! Great job!!
Thank you! I am humbled...
3:07 is awesome. That animal is genuinely curious about the smell of the camera in its den. "Mmmm, what is this?"
Really wonderful footage! Very documentary-like. 😊
Thanks Maggie! Snake awareness and curiosity is underappreciated.
I subscribed, unbelievable that you don’t have more subscribers with your excellent content.
I am humbled, thanks so much for the sub!
In the age of self grandizing so called "herping" videos it is good to see someone representing the snake and not themselves. Great job in presenting the facts and providing great video footage of "horridus" on their own terms in their own environment. Looking forward to viewing and sharing your other videos.
I agree with the comment below that your footage is very worthy of being used in Reptile conservation efforts. Will pass them along to the people I know.
Thanks
Thank you Robert for the support and encouragement! I always keep conservation in mind with the difficult and sometimes contradictory approaches of trying to make the content interesting in a age of social media and short attention spans. I won't always get the balance right, but I am buoyed by your input.
I was just thinking that myself
Extremely well done video...
Thanks for sharing
Thanks so much and thanks for watching..
Good work HERE! Great footage!!
Thank you Rebecca!
Awesome video,,,
filled with so much education...
Happy you don't land mark them!!!
Thanks Robin for the support! No need to mark the animals when you can id through images!
I'm glad to see someone that appreciates such a misunderstood species of animal. The Timber Rattlesnake is one of, if not my favorite reptile. I'm fortunate to live in northeast Tennessee where I'm able observe these jewels here and in western North Carolina every year. I've been lucky enough to observe some of the same individuals year after year. One male that I've seen 4 years in a row now has only added one segment to his rattle during this time. This shows just how slow their growth rate is, at least in the higher elevations where this snake resides, (over 5000 feet ). This snake has always looked healthy every time I've seen him and has retained his button since birth. It makes me wonder how often this animal secures a meal. They are truly an amazing creature.
Thank you Doug and thanks for sharing. I'm envious that you get to observe horridus with such spectacular vistas. I do need to pay more attention to individual snakes..I take enough images and videos of them, it would be fairly easy to confirm which snakes I have repeatedly seen over the years .
Amazing footage and information extremely well done thank you for all your hard work
Thank you for the encouragement, it keeps me motivated.
I LOVE this so much!!!! Thank you Mark. Keep em coming
Thank you Shawn! I appreciate your support, and I will continue to give it my best effort.
This is one of the most amazing videos I’ve ever seen dude...Awe look the little dudes yawning with they’re big ole eyes 🤗 I love baby Rattlesnakes.
Thank you so much...I need all the encouragement I can get! Rattlesnake birthing rookeries are such sacred places for sure.
Mark Lotterhand Timbers are so cool. We don’t have em in this part of Texas but we do have Sisturus Catenatus Tergeminus I just wished people would stop killing EVERY SINGLE snake. If I’m out just Herping around flipping I’ll find occupied rats nests EVERYWHERE. That’s from killing off all the Atrox.
This is fantastic work man! I might be interning in the Smoky Mountains this summer and if I do I'm going to try and find some big congregations of Timber Rattlesnakes. This video definitely helped. Keep up the great work!
Thank you and good luck! I would love someday to observe timbers in the southern Appalachians. These animals really do inhabit some of the most scenic areas in the East!
Amazing footage. I love and value the Prairie Rattlesnakes that live here in Southern Alberta.
Thanks Chris! I would love to see Prairie rattlesnakes at their northern range! In 2018 I was privileged to visit the Narcisse Snake Dens in Manitoba and want to explore more of the western provinces.
Colorado’s rookery appears to have 60 western rattlesnakes gestating right now. That’s just an estimate from what I can see on the nature cam aka rattlecam. Very cool..
Awesome! I have yet to check it out...thanks for sharing!
Extraordinary work! I thought I was watching PBS or one of them channels! Keep up the great work!🚀 🚀 🚀
Thank you so much and I can't express enough how I welcome the encouragement!
Beautifully done! Thank you for creating this informative and beautiful video. Bravo!
Thanks Jill! It was a big project for me, but very rewarding.
Amazing and incredible camera captures !!! One of my favorite species of ALL snakes that are an endangered species so Rattlesnake conservation is vital to their existence !!
1softkiss thank you! One of my favorite snakes as well, although that is probably obvious lol. Overall I want to switch gears and focus more and more highlighting the importance of conserving this often misunderstood animal.
@@lotterhand Snakes certainly are so VERY misunderstood and it breaks my heart to know they are so vulnerable and yet so easily abused and slaughtered by people :(
@@lotterhand So few realize how intelligent snakes really are and what fantastic social animals they can be if respected and given a great quality of life !! Snake cognition matures with their exposure to everything and everyone in their environment :) It blows my mind because snakes have no animosity toward people they are just curious creatures that defend their lives and their goal in life is to thrive and reproduce and I'll never understand why people have to impose themselves into the snakes natural lives but they can be observed with respect !!
@@1softkiss I couldn't have conveyed such vital message any better than you did! Thank you !!
@@lotterhand You're certainly most welcome !! I've been an active member of RARR for many years on Facebook Rise Against Rattlesnake Roundups and Todd Autry is an old and great friend of mine. ;)
Beautiful footage, very informative, simply wonderful. The presentation could not have been done any better. Amazing. With your other work, you should make a DVD collection. Thank you for diving deep into the world of these wonderful beings. Sadly, due to population decline, the Timber Rattlesnake is a protected species in some eastern states. You are very correct, protect the location of their dens. I have found a few here in VA.
Thank you! This video and others before it was a build up to my most comprehensive video on timber rattlesnakes. If you haven't seen it and are interested ua-cam.com/video/PwndBNY-EoA/v-deo.html
Excellent video
Thank you very much!
Awesome! Thanks for sharing!
Amazing video and amazing animals! Thoroughly enjoyed watching. Thanks so much :)
Thank you Susan! I truly appreciate your enthusiasm !
VERY interesting video!!!!
Thank you!
Great video and footage. Your book arrived today and I'm a few chapters in. It's excellent so far. It's interesting how it's more common to see timber rattlesnake neonates than copperhead neonates, despite timber rattlesnakes being the more rare species. My father will enjoy your book, especially the first chapter. He's a bird watcher, but I'm turning him on to snakes. :)
Thank you and I’m glad you are enjoying the book so far and I hope father does as well. I have always been somewhat astonished how much more visible timber rattlesnakes neonates are compared to copperheads, especially at den sites and I only recall every seeing a few copperhead babies at any hibernacula. They are masters of camouflage and is probably the reason they are the most common snake in parts of their range!
Amazing content
footage or info on timbers in New England.
Thank you!
This is a fabulous video, thank you
Glad you enjoyed it!
Very good video I'm impressed
Thank you Jon!
I've done few combat dances to mate 🤣🤣🤣🤣
Haven't we all!
Love the Timber rattIesnakes 💛🖤 and l've enjoyed your video. Strikingly attractive and fascinating animaIs. 😍
Thank you so much 😀
@@lotterhand You do good work, you're very welcome 😊
Love the video!
Jason savage thank you!
Just earned a subscription!
Awesome video sir
Much appreciated..thanks!
Great video, man. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for stopping by!
Rattlers and copperheads are disappearing in the mountains of WV.
Unfortunately, that is true throughout much of their range. Thankfully, both species, especially horridus are now protected in several states.
Brave man Thank you
You are welcome. These animals are quite passive, so no real bravery on my part.
Great video! This is just my opinion, but I think they find sustenance in water, and sunlight when food is scarce. I know they need protein , but finding minerals in mountain water, and certain vitamins from the sun, could pull them through rough times?
Dawn, I am sure the UVA/UVB from the sun aids in pregnancy someway, it anything it certainly helps strengthen their immune system at a time when they are under physiological stress during pregnancy.
I think that's what I was getting at lol, sometimes I wonder where, how, they find enough food. From birth to adult. The woods are teaming with with prey, just because I don't see it, doesn't mean it isn't there lol. I'd love to be able to observe their feeding habits throughout life, that would be interesting!
@@dawned-on-you there are certainly lots of rodents out there. Going up as a kid I would always set small Havahart traps, and in all types of habitat, I would consistently catch something...shrews, voles, moles, and deer mice.
Awesome footage!
Thank you!
Thank you for these fabulous videos! I'm obsessed with learning as much as i can about Timbers after seeing my first two in June of 2020 in southwest Wisconsin. I understand that winter dens and birthing rookeries are "generational". So, how are new dens established? And, how is genetic diversity maintained? Thank you!
Thanks John! I would love to see Wisconsin horridus someday. So despite dens and rookeries being generational they are historically not fixed (or at least before Europeans arrived). In fact, after the last glacial retreat 15,000 thousand years ago timber rattlesnakes migrated and established dens from the SE coastal plain all the way to Canada. In one human lifetime, dens seem fixed, and some are used for perhaps centuries, but members from one den, likely young animals or babies may get "lost" and establish a nearby den and so there used be a lot of overlap from one den to another..a branching out effect, where maybe initially one den exists in a given area and then over a period of decades satellite dens appear. I know of a man made structure that in 40 years, timber rattlesnakes abandon two nearby natural ledge dens and have used the man structure exclusively as a hibernaculum. Regarding large healthy rookeries, in many cases they are fed by more than one den which I suspect some babies even from the same litter may end up migrating to different dens, helping to maintain genetic diversity. Also males, which can travel upwards of four miles will mate with females from distant dens. The issue today, is that many dens/populations are fragmented and cut off by human development so there is no regional movement across landscapes which is vital for the species survival.
@@lotterhand Thank you, Mark, for your articulate and thorough reply. I really appreciate that. So very interesting!
This is a beautiful video, Mark. It's absolutely exquisite in its artistry as well as its profound educational value. My questions for you are: Are these snakes really so shy that you aren't in much danger of being bitten? When I hiked in New Mexico, Illinois and California, snakes were always a near-constant danger, usually diamondbacks or Mojave greens (among other pit vipers). How were you able to get so close (aside from telephoto lenses) and stay safe? I hope you are ALWAYS safe as you study these beautiful reptiles.
Thank you for the compliment..I am humbled. Diamondbacks and Mojave rattlesnakes are more defensive than timber rattlesnakes overall, but that being said there , complacency can be dangerous. Some of the footage were cameras left on site and retrieved later. I try to be as safe as possible and try not let my guard down despite the fact that most timber rattlesnakes will not strike if unprovoked. Out of 2,000 encounters, I have had only one strike at me. I was well out of range because the animal was so worked up (felt vulnerable as it was crossing a trail) that I literally thought at the time , I think this snake may strike. My concern are the snakes I don't see! I can't tell you how many times I was so focused on photographing/filming one or more rattlesnakes/copperheads and didn't realize until after that I was within inches of a pit viper. All I can do is try to be vigilant of my surroundings.
@@lotterhand Thank *you* for answering my questions -- much appreciated. There is a special kind of snake-proof boot, which I think are called Corduras. Do you wear those or any other kind of protective equipment? I'm always curious, because I used to hike in an abandoned brick-making facility with extremely tall hills of cast-off bricks. I wore knee-high boots made of thick leather. I didn't wear gloves, because my thinking was, "If I'm bitten, I want the snake to be able to pull away quickly." Didn't want to risk it getting snagged in thick rawhide gloves. Both rattlers and copperheads were an issue in those days.
@@cardinalrobbins9453 I wear ankle high boots and denim..certainly not as protective as snake guards or boots, but I sacrifice some safety for flexibility. I carry a 50 pound back pack up very steep terrain, always at risk of losing my balance and I fear that snake boots or guards would make it worse. I honestly worry most about my hands/arms since I am often crouched low filming/photographing. Life is a risk, and if anything, falling and breaking my neck or getting into a car accident on my long commute from MA to NY are exceedingly more likely to happen. You were very smart to be cautious, especially in a broken down man made structure...a haven for snakes, especially copperheads.
There have been sightings of rattlesnakes in the mid to southern Willamette Valley of Oregon. I understand that they prefer south facing rocky slopes for dens and basking. Some of these hillsides are now being used for rock quarries which I'm sure disturbs if not destroys their dens. What do rattlesnakes do if their den is destroyed?
I assume you are referring to the northern Pacific rattlesnake. You are correct, dens face in a southerly direction. Northern latitude communal denning snakes show strong site fidelity, so if their ancestral den is completely destroyed it will likely be a catastrophic event for the local population. Timber rattlesnake dens here as well have been gutted during the construction of rock quarries with disastrous results.
The Timber Rattlesnake use to be in Ontario Canada also but no more now ,
Yes unfortunately, timber rattlesnake have been extirpated from many areas of their former range, especially in southern Canada and large swaths of New England.
@@lotterhand that leaves three species of Rattlesnakes in Canada, Different spellings but the Massasauga Rattlesnake in Ontario, The Prarie Rattlesnake in Saskatchewan and Alberta, And the Northern Pacific Rattlesnake in British Columbia,
@@squamishfish Yes, and talk about timing, I am literally in the process of planning a trip to Alberta to see prairie rattlesnakes in Alberta. In 2018, I had the privilege to visit the Narcisse snake dens in Manitoba....which topped my bucket list! I have always been intrigued by reptiles that live north of 45 degrees latitude and hope to spend more time in Canada in the coming years!
You said a foot in length for babies. I have found them in early July around 6-8 inches here in Pennsylvania
Shooter Mcgee are you sure the young snakes you were encountering were born that year? I personally have never heard of litters being born in July. Usually gravid females give birth from late August to mid-September throughout the Northeast.
@@lotterhand. Well I assume they are since they ate so small. I found them in the same spot 3 years in a row. If they were born the year prior I'd have to assume they'd be over a foot.
@@shootermcgee628 very interesting..Do you happen to live in western PA by chance?
@@lotterhand yes. Yes I do. Used to be great but has been getting harder.
@@shootermcgee628 Is it possible that you are finding eastern massasauga rattlesnakes?? If so, a much more of an impressive find..and rare, endangered in fact
Hey man I watched a couple of your videos. You are very knowledgeable and do great work. I live in Pittsburgh, and know of 2 dens that I won't mention the area because you know why. I would love to meet you and take you there nd learn from you. Send a reply on here and we can talk
Hey Tim, I am humbled thank you! I may take you up on your offer depending on my schedule. Perhaps this fall??
I wonder if the best sites for mining granite compete with what was prime rattlesnake territory. Man is always trying to disturb Mother Nature.
You are correct, in parts of NE, especially my home state of NH, dens were wiped out due to granite and gravel mining.
Can you tell me if the pygmy rattlesnake does the same thing as this snake ?
It is great question. Honesty I'm not sure if they do, but I have never stumbled upon any research or field accounts that suggest they practice communal birthing.
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I give ALL Rattlesnakes my personal 12 ga. attention.
COWARD!!!!
Kool you like the snakes. Me - I DO NOT LIKE THEM. I stay away from them, I let them get out of the way, and give them room. Still don't like them.
You don't have to like them, just appreciate that the rodents the prey on offers a huge benefit for us.