THE CENTER FOR NORTH AMERICAN HERPETOLOGY


Reptilia    Squamata (part)    Crotalidae  

Timber Rattlesnake
Crotalus horridus Linnaeus, 1758

SSAR 9th Edition Comments:
There are no current SSAR comments for this taxon.

Range maps are based on curated specimens and provided gratis by CNAH.
(Created by Travis W. Taggart; Version: 2023.05.17.15.20.28)
Download GeoJSON polygon range file: - 1.58 MB

First instance(s) of published English names:
Rattle-Snake (Vipera caudisona americana: Catesby, Mark and Cromwell Mortimer. 1753. IX. A Continuation of an Account of an Essay Towards a Natural History of Carolina and the Bahama Islands. By Mark Catesby, F. R. S. with Some Extracts out of the Eighth Set. By Dr. Mortimer, Secr. R. S. Philosophical Transactions 39():251-258); Rattle-Snake (Vipera caudisona americana: Catesby, Mark. 1754. The Natural History of Carolina, Florida and the Bahama Islands: Containing the Figures of Birds, Beasts, Fishes, Serpents, Insects, and Plants: Particularly the Forest-trees, Shrubs, and other Plants, not Hitherto Described, or Very Incorrectly Figured by Authors. Together with Their Descriptions in English and French. To which, are Added Observations on the Air, Soil, and Waters: with Remarks upon Agriculture, Grain, Pulse, Roots, &c. To the Whole, is Prefixed a New and Correct Map of the Countries Treated of. , London. pp.); Rattle Snake (Crotalus horridus: Forster, John R. 1771. A systematic catalogue of all the known plants of English North-America or, a flora Americae Septentrionalis. Pages in From Forster's translation of Bossu, Travels through that part of North America formerly called Louisiana, Vol. 1. T. Davies, London, England. pp.); Rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus: Pennant, Thomas. 1785. Artic Zoology. Henry Hughs, London. pp.); Great Rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus: Pennant, Thomas. 1785. Artic Zoology. Henry Hughs, London. pp.); Rattle-Snake (Crotalus horridus: Barton, Benjamin S. 1793. An account of the most effectual means of preventing the deleterious consequences of the bite of the Crotalus horridus, or Rattle-Snake. Transactions of the American Philosophical Society 3():100-115); Rattle Snake (Crotalus horridus: Morse, Jedidiah. 1794. The American Geography of, a view of the Present Situation of the United State of America. John Stockdale, Piccadilly, London. pp.); Bluetail Rattlesnake (Crotalinus cyanurus: Rafinesque, Constantine S. 1818. Further account of discoveries in natural history, in the western states. The American Monthly Magazine and Critical Review 4():39-42); Banded Rattle Snake (Crotalus horridus: James, Edwin. 1823. Account of an expedition from Pittsburgh to the Rocky Mountains, performed in the years 1819, 1820. By order of the Hon. J. C. Calhoun, Secretary of War, under the command of Maj. S. H. Long, of the United States Top. Engineers. Compiled from the notes of Major Long, Mr. T. Say, and other gentlemen of the party by Edwin James, botanist and geologist to the expedition. In three volumes. [Volume 1]. Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme and Brown, London, England. 344pp.); Banded Rattle-snake (Crotalus durissus: Harlan, Richard. 1827. Genera of North American Reptilia, and a synopsis of the species Journal of the Academy of Natural Sciences Philidelphia 5(2):317-372); Diamond Rattle-snake (Crotalus horidus: Harlan, Richard. 1827. Genera of North American Reptilia, and a synopsis of the species Journal of the Academy of Natural Sciences Philidelphia 5(2):317-372); Lozenge Spotted Rattle-snake (Crotalus durissus: Gray, John E. 1830. A synopsis of the species of the class reptilia. Pages 1-110 in The Animal Kingdom Arranged in Conformity with its Organization by the Baron Cuvier, member of teh Institute of France, with Additional Descriptions of all the Species Hitherto Named, and of many not before noticed. Ninth Volume. Whittaker, Treacher, and Company, London, England. pp.); Common Rattle Snake (Crotalus horridus: Gray, John E. 1830. A synopsis of the species of the class reptilia. Pages 1-110 in The Animal Kingdom Arranged in Conformity with its Organization by the Baron Cuvier, member of teh Institute of France, with Additional Descriptions of all the Species Hitherto Named, and of many not before noticed. Ninth Volume. Whittaker, Treacher, and Company, London, England. pp.); Striped Rattle-snake (Crotalus durissus: Griffith, Edward and Edward Pidgeon. 1831. The class reptilia arranged by the Baron Cuvier, with specific descriptions. Part 2. Whittaker, Treacher, and Company, London. 1-481pp.); Banded Rattle-snake (Crotalus horridus: Griffith, Edward and Edward Pidgeon. 1831. The class reptilia arranged by the Baron Cuvier, with specific descriptions. Part 2. Whittaker, Treacher, and Company, London. 1-481pp.); Banded Rattle Snake (Crotalus durissus: Storer, D. H. 1839. Reports on the Ichthyology and Herpetology of Massachusetts. Reports on the Fishes, Reptiles and Birds of Massachusetts. Published Agreeably to an Order of the Legislature, by the Commissioners on the Zoological and Botanical Survey of the State. Dutton and Wentworth, State Printers, Boston, Massachusetts. pp.); Northern Rattlesnake (Crotalus durissus: De Kay, James E. 1842. Zoology of New-York, or, The New-York Fauna: Comprising Detailed Descriptions of All the Animals Hitherto Observed within the State of New-York, with Brief Notices of those Occasionally Found Near its Borders, and Accompanied by Appropriate Illustrations. Volume 1, Part 3 (Reptiles and Amphibians). W. & A. White & J. Visscher, Albany, New York. pp.); Rattlesnake (Crotalus durissus: Baird, Spencer F. 1854. Serpents of New-York; With a Notice of a Species not Hitherto Included in the Fauna of the State. C. Van Benthuysen, Albany, New York. pp.); Banded Rattle-snake (Crotalus horridus: Royal College of Surgeons of England. 1859. Descriptive catalogue of the specimens of natural history in spirit contained in the Museum of the Royal college of surgeons of England. Vertebrata: Pisces, Reptilia, Aves, Mammalia. Taylor and Francis, London, England. pp.); Cascavella (Crotalus horridus: Royal College of Surgeons of England. 1859. Descriptive catalogue of the specimens of natural history in spirit contained in the Museum of the Royal college of surgeons of England. Vertebrata: Pisces, Reptilia, Aves, Mammalia. Taylor and Francis, London, England. pp.); Banded Rattlesnake (Crotalus durissus: Allen, J. A. 1869. Catalogue of the reptiles and batrachians found in the vicinity of Springfield, Mass., with notices of all the other species known to inhabit the state. Proceedings of the Boston Society of Natural Hisotry 12(1868-1869):171-204); Banded Rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus: Jordan, David Starr. 1876. Manual of the Vertebrates of the Northern United States: Including the District East of the Mississippi River, and North of North Carolina and Tennessee, Exclusive of Marine Species. Jansen, McClurg, and Company, Chicago, Illinois.. 342pp.); Northern Rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus: Jordan, David Starr. 1876. Manual of the Vertebrates of the Northern United States: Including the District East of the Mississippi River, and North of North Carolina and Tennessee, Exclusive of Marine Species. Jansen, McClurg, and Company, Chicago, Illinois.. 342pp.); Northern Rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus: Yarrow, Henry C. 1876. List of Skeletons and Crania in the Section of Comparative Anatomy of the United States Army Medical Museum for use during the International Exhibition of 1876 in Connection with the Representation of the Medical Department U.S. Army. Army Medical Museum, Washington, D. C. pp.); Banded Rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus: Yarrow, Henry C. 1876. List of Skeletons and Crania in the Section of Comparative Anatomy of the United States Army Medical Museum for use during the International Exhibition of 1876 in Connection with the Representation of the Medical Department U.S. Army. Army Medical Museum, Washington, D. C. pp.); Banded Rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus: Yarrow, Henry C. 1882. Check list of North American Reptilia and Batrachia with catalogue of specimens in U. S. National Museum. Bulletin of the United States National Museum (24):1-249); Banded Rattle Snake (Crotalus horridus: Davis, N. S., and Frank L. Rice. 1883. List of Batrachia and Reptilia of Illinois. Bulletin of the Chicago Academy of Sciences 1(3):25–32); Northern Rattle Snake (Crotalus horridus: Davis, N. S., and Frank L. Rice. 1883. List of Batrachia and Reptilia of Illinois. Bulletin of the Chicago Academy of Sciences 1(3):25–32); Timber Rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus: Garman, H. 1892. A synopsis of the reptiles and amphibians of Illinois. Illinois Laboratory of Natural History Bulletin 3():215-403); Cane Rattler (Crotalus horridus: Beyer, George. 1900. Louisana herpetology. Proceedings of the Louisiana Society of Naturalists 1897-1899():24-46); Rattler (Crotalus horridus: Fowler, Henry W. 1907. The amphibians and reptiles of New Jersey. MacCrellish and Quigley, Trenton, N. J.. 29-250pp.); Rattle Snake (Crotalus horridus: Fowler, Henry W. 1907. The amphibians and reptiles of New Jersey. MacCrellish and Quigley, Trenton, N. J.. 29-250pp.); Black Rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus: Stejneger, Leonhard H. and Thomas Barbour. 1917. A Checklist of North American Amphibians and Reptiles. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts. pp.); Canebreak Rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus: Stejneger, Leonhard H. and Thomas Barbour. 1917. A Checklist of North American Amphibians and Reptiles. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts. pp.); Timber Rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus: Schmidt, Karl Peterson and D. D. Davis. 1941. Field Book of Snakes of the United States and Canada. C.P. Putnam and Sons, New York. 365pp.); Canbrake Rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus atricaudatus: Schmidt, Karl Peterson and D. D. Davis. 1941. Field Book of Snakes of the United States and Canada. C.P. Putnam and Sons, New York. 365pp.); Timber Rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus horridus: Schmidt, Karl Peterson and D. D. Davis. 1941. Field Book of Snakes of the United States and Canada. C.P. Putnam and Sons, New York. 365pp.); Timber Snake (Crotalus horridus: Wright, Albert Hazen. 1950. Common names of the snakes of the United States. Herpetologica 6(6):141-186); The Banded Rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus: Wright, Albert Hazen. 1950. Common names of the snakes of the United States. Herpetologica 6(6):141-186); Common Rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus: Wright, Albert Hazen. 1950. Common names of the snakes of the United States. Herpetologica 6(6):141-186); The Common Timber Rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus: Wright, Albert Hazen. 1950. Common names of the snakes of the United States. Herpetologica 6(6):141-186); Common Rattler (Crotalus horridus: Wright, Albert Hazen. 1950. Common names of the snakes of the United States. Herpetologica 6(6):141-186); American Viper (Crotalus horridus atricaudatus: Wright, Albert Hazen. 1950. Common names of the snakes of the United States. Herpetologica 6(6):141-186); Timber Rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus atricaudatus: Wright, Albert Hazen. 1950. Common names of the snakes of the United States. Herpetologica 6(6):141-186); Timber Rattler (Crotalus horridus atricaudatus: Wright, Albert Hazen. 1950. Common names of the snakes of the United States. Herpetologica 6(6):141-186); Common Rattler (Crotalus horridus atricaudatus: Wright, Albert Hazen. 1950. Common names of the snakes of the United States. Herpetologica 6(6):141-186); Banded Rattler (Crotalus horridus atricaudatus: Wright, Albert Hazen. 1950. Common names of the snakes of the United States. Herpetologica 6(6):141-186); Pit Viper (Crotalus horridus atricaudatus: Wright, Albert Hazen. 1950. Common names of the snakes of the United States. Herpetologica 6(6):141-186); Common Rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus atricaudatus: Wright, Albert Hazen. 1950. Common names of the snakes of the United States. Herpetologica 6(6):141-186); Mountain Timber Rattler (Crotalus horridus horridus: Wright, Albert Hazen. 1950. Common names of the snakes of the United States. Herpetologica 6(6):141-186); Mountain Rattler (Crotalus horridus horridus: Wright, Albert Hazen. 1950. Common names of the snakes of the United States. Herpetologica 6(6):141-186); Velvet-tail Rattler (Crotalus horridus horridus: Wright, Albert Hazen. 1950. Common names of the snakes of the United States. Herpetologica 6(6):141-186); Poison Viper (Crotalus horridus horridus: Wright, Albert Hazen. 1950. Common names of the snakes of the United States. Herpetologica 6(6):141-186); Northern Banded Rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus horridus: Wright, Albert Hazen. 1950. Common names of the snakes of the United States. Herpetologica 6(6):141-186); Velvet Tail (Crotalus horridus horridus: Wright, Albert Hazen. 1950. Common names of the snakes of the United States. Herpetologica 6(6):141-186); Northern Rattler (Crotalus horridus horridus: Wright, Albert Hazen. 1950. Common names of the snakes of the United States. Herpetologica 6(6):141-186); Common Timber Rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus horridus: Wright, Albert Hazen. 1950. Common names of the snakes of the United States. Herpetologica 6(6):141-186); Mountain Rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus horridus: Wright, Albert Hazen. 1950. Common names of the snakes of the United States. Herpetologica 6(6):141-186); Timber Rattler (Crotalus horridus horridus: Wright, Albert Hazen. 1950. Common names of the snakes of the United States. Herpetologica 6(6):141-186); Timber Rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus horridus: Wright, Albert Hazen. 1950. Common names of the snakes of the United States. Herpetologica 6(6):141-186); Northern Rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus horridus: Wright, Albert Hazen. 1950. Common names of the snakes of the United States. Herpetologica 6(6):141-186); Banded Rattler (Crotalus horridus horridus: Wright, Albert Hazen. 1950. Common names of the snakes of the United States. Herpetologica 6(6):141-186);

Taxon Links:

  
Catalog of American Amphibians and Reptiles
  
The Reptile Database
  
NatureServe
  
iNaturalist
  
GenBank
  
USGS - Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Database

Selected References:
1758 Linné, Carl von (=Linneaus). Systema Naturae per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis. [System of Nature through the three kingdoms of nature, according to classes, orders, genera, species with characters, differences, synonyms, places.] 10th Edition, Volume 1, L. Salvius, Stockholm. iv + 826pp.
1940 Gloyd, Howard K. The rattlesnakes, genera Sistrurus and Crotalus. Chicago Academy of Sciences Special Publication 4(1):1-266
1953 Minton, Sherman A., Jr. Variation in venom samples from Copperheads (Agkistrodon contortrix mokeson) and Timber Tattlesnakes (Crotalus horridus horridus). Copeia 1953(4):212-215
1956 Klauber, Laurence M. Rattlesnakes. Their habits, life histories, and influence on mankind. 2 Volumes. University of California Press, Berkeley, California. pp.
1972 Klauber, Laurence M. Rattlesnakes. Their Habits, Life Histories, and Influence on Mankind. 2 Vols. 2nd ed. University of California Press, Berkeley and Los Angeles. pp.
1972 Pisani, George R., Joseph T. Collins, and Stephen R. Edwards. A re-evaluation of the subspecies of Crotalus horridus. Transactions of the Kansas Academy of Science 75(3):255-263
1972 Baker, Robert J., George A. Mengden, and James J. Bull. Karyotypic studies of thirty-eight species of North American snakes . Copeia 1972(2):257-265
1980 Collins, Joseph T. and James L. Knight. Crotalus horridus. Catalogue of American Amphibians and Reptiles (253):1-2
1985 Fitch, Henry S. Observations on rattle size and demography of Prairie Rattlesnakes (Crotalus viridis) and Timber Rattlesnakes (Crotalus horridus) in Kansas. Occasional Papers of the University of Kansas Museum of Natural History (118):1-11
1991 Thireau, Michel. Types and historically important specimens of rattlesnakes in the Museum National D'Histoire Naturelle (Paris). Smithsonian Herpetological Information Service (87):1-10
1991 Collins, Joseph T. Amphibians and reptiles in the upper Mississippi river valley: Systematic and distributional problems. Journal of the Tennessee Academy of Science 66(4):149-152
1993 Riedle, J. Daren. Distribution of the Timber Rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus) in Chautauqua, Elk and Montgomery Counties, Kansas. Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks, Pratt. 13pp.
1993 Riedle, J. Daren. Distribution of the Timber Rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus) in Chautauqua, Elk, and Montgomery counties, Kansas Privately printed, Emporia, Kansas. 8pp.
1993 Brown, W. S. Biology, Status, and Management of the Timber Rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus): A Guide for Conservation. Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles Herpetological Circular (22):
1994 Riedle, J. Daren. Distribution of the Timber Rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus) in Chautauqua, Elk, and Montgomery counties, Kansas. Kansas Herpetological Society Newsletter (95):43051
1998 Bushar, Lauretta M., Howard K. Reinert, and Larry Gelbert. Genetic variation and gene flow within and between local populations of the Timber Rattlesnake, Crotalus horridus. Copeia 1998(2):411-422
2001 Bushar, Lauretta M., Marianne Maliga, and Howard K. Reinert. Cross-species amplification of Crotalus horridus microsatellites and their application in phylogenetic analysis. Journal of Herpetology 35(3):532-537
2002 Fitch, Henry S. A comparison of growth and rattle string in three species of rattlesnakes. Scientific Papers of the Natural History Museum, University of Kansas (24):1-6
2003 Clark, A. M., Paul E. Moler, E. E. Possardt, Alan H. Savitzky, William S. Brown, and Brian W. Bowen. Phylogeography of the Timber Rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus) based on mtDNA sequences. Journal of Herpetology 37(1):145-154
2008 Martin, William H., William S. Brown, Earl Possardt, and John B. Sealy. Biological variation, management units, and a conservation action plan for the Timber Rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus). Pages in The Biology of Rattlesnakes. Loma Linda University Press, Loma Linda, California. pp.
2018 Stengle, Anne. Habitat selection, connectivity, and population genetics of a Timber Rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus) metapopulation in southwestern Massachusetts and New England. Dissertation. University of Massachusetts, Amherst. 235pp.
2022 Rhodes, Chaz, Willard Haunfelder, and Bradley E. Carlson. Citizen science reporting indicates geographic and phenotypic drivers of road use and mortality in a threatened rattlesnake. Current Zoology 69(3):264–276
2024 Myers, Edward A., Rhett M. Rautsaw, Miguel Borja, Jason Jones, Christoph I. Grünwald, Matthew L. Holding, Felipe Grazziotin, and Christopher L. Parkinson. Phylogenomic discordance is driven by wide-spread introgression and incomplete lineage sorting during rapid species diversification within rattlesnakes (Viperidae: Crotalus and Sistrurus) Systematic Biology syae018:

THE CENTER FOR NORTH AMERICAN HERPETOLOGY — Accessed: Saturday 26 April 2025 23:34 CT