Our department's graduate
students took our fall camping trip over the weekend to southern Ohio, and we
were treated to a really special animal:
That's a big timber rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus) hiding out under some fall leaves. This
endangered species is both secretive and well camouflaged, so you could easily
walk right past one of these bad boys even if you were lucky enough to be near
one.
This particular snake is part
of a long-term study to understand the movements and behavior of these snakes
in Ohio. A radio transmitter guided the volunteers who track these snakes
directly to this individual, and we were lucky enough to follow along.
My lab mate Matt Holding was
asked to get DNA samples from this snake over the summer, and he remembered
this individual fondly. Here is a photo of Matt with this same snake so you can
get a sense of scale. The volunteers said that their last measurement of this
individual was 54 inches, and it could very well be 15-25 years old.
So next time you are hiking
around in timber rattlesnake country, keep an eye out and you may get to
appreciate one of these incredible animals for yourself.
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| I mean really keep an eye out! |