Rattlesnakes produce venom at a high cost, so many human bites are dry, containing little or no venom. This is because they do not view humans as prey.
Unlike non-venomous snakes with round pupils, timber rattlesnakes have vertical slit pupils, which is a distinguishing feature of venomous species.
Female timber rattlesnakes give birth to live young after carrying eggs inside their bodies for 3 to 4 months, a reproductive method known as ovoviviparity.
Their rattle, made of keratin like human fingernails, adds a new segment with each molt. However, rattles can easily break, making age estimation imprecise.
Not all rattlesnakes rattle their tails when threatened. In fact, many, like those I saw on the Appalachian Trail, prefer to move away silently.
Timber rattlesnakes can live 16 to 22 years but only reach sexual maturity at around 5 years for males and 7 to 11 years for females.
Females give birth only once every 3 to 4 years, resulting in a lifetime total of 2 to 3 births, making their reproduction relatively infrequent.
During winter, rattlesnakes enter a state called brumation, similar to hibernation, often sharing dens with other reptiles and migrating 1.3 to 2.5 miles each summer.
Females lay scent trails to help their young find their winter dens. Newborn rattlesnakes have only one rattle segment, which they shed to add a second segment within 10 days of birth.