NH Rattlesnakes Article

[peakbagger]

https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/state-keeps-location-last-rattlesnakes-150000727.html
Long ago on VFTT and other early outdoor forums any mention of rattlesnake sightings usually got shut down quickly as it was known that folks looking for rattlesnake dens would post on outdoors sites asking for directions to sightings. One person posted a photo of a snake they claim they had taken in NH but it was quickly attributed to different variety of snake and taken down.

I have encountered a couple of them on a spring trip on the AT in Northern New Jersey and another one near the Hudson River in NY on another spring AT section hike.

 

[NHClimber]

They are all over the Shawangunks. Even up on the crags. There are some in southern NH. There are some down in the Quabbin area of MA.

 

[srhigham]

There are some on Tekoa Mountain in Russell, Mass. I did some hiking there a couple of years ago, and always wore taller leather work boots, just in case. I never saw any. They like talus slopes and similar rocky areas.

 

[NHClimber]

Isn’t there a third person rule? First person wakes up the snake. Second person makes it angry. Third person gets bit.

 

[Peakbagr]

I'm one of the fire tower stewards on Overlook Mt, Catskills. There are dens on and around it. I see them all the time. Always concerned that too-specific photo locations are not good for their safety.

 

[Peakbagr]

Split Rock Mt, Adirondacks, black morph Timber Rattlesnake. Very Grumpy. Struck at the person right ahead of me who almost knocked me over jumping back.

 

[peakbagger]

I agree that specific locations especially in VT and NH should not be out there.

 

[NH2112]

I don’t understand how people say there are none in Maine. Around 40 years ago some friends and I were fishing in Biddeford and since nothing was hitting lures I started poking through a pile of rocks for live bait. All of a sudden I heard rattling and saw the snake maybe 5-6 feet away. Nobody believed me when I told them, some said a lot of snakes shake their tails as warnings (but do they rattle?) or that the snake’s tail could have been in dry leaves (it was on a pile of rocks, not the forest floor.) I’ve heard “yeah, they’re in NH and MA but not in ME” like the snakes can read.

 

[sierra]

Back in the early 90's when I was into rock climbing, we climbed at Rumney a lot. It was said by locals ,that there were Rattlesnakes in the area, not sure if it was true, I never saw one and I climbed all over that place.

 

[NHClimber]

Back in the early 90's when I was into rock climbing, we climbed at Rumney a lot. It was said by locals ,that there were Rattlesnakes in the area, not sure if it was true, I never saw one and I climbed all over that place.

Lots of milk snakes. Never heard of rattlers at Rumney but nothing would surprise me. They are hanging out with the mountain lions!

 

[maineguy]

Seen on a trail while hiking in Utah

 

[tomcat32]

I know NY is more than happy to earn you about the population on the Tongue Range. I saw a long shed on the rocks in that area that led to a probable den under rocks slightly off trail. I grew up in PA and saw them frequently. In parts of PA they’re almost a given that you’ll see them. On a PA specific backpacking group I posted a TR on a Quehanna Trail trip. It’s a 71 mile loop and I included a rattlesnake pic. Within minutes of posting a moderator pulled the pic and threaten to remove the post if I didn’t remove the rattler pic from my personal blog that was linked. The location was too specific pinpointing it to “along the plateau “. It could have been anywhere on the 71 mile loop , it wasn’t geotagged or even vague as 2 miles after point a. The post was eventually removed because I left it in my blog. Let’s just say they’re pretty common there and if someone interested in that area wouldn’t have a hard time finding one in the general region if they wanted to. They even have several public rattlesnake hunts in that part of PA to this day.

 

[nartreb]

I don’t understand how people say there are none in Maine. Around 40 years ago some friends and I were fishing in Biddeford and since nothing was hitting lures I started poking through a pile of rocks for live bait. All of a sudden I heard rattling and saw the snake maybe 5-6 feet away. Nobody believed me when I told them, some said a lot of snakes shake their tails as warnings (but do they rattle?) or that the snake’s tail could have been in dry leaves (it was on a pile of rocks, not the forest floor.) I’ve heard “yeah, they’re in NH and MA but not in ME” like the snakes can read.

Biddeford is within their historical range but nobody's seen one in Maine in a very long time. You'd think somebody would find a shed skin (with evidence of rattles), or at least get a photo, if there were any left. The idea that they're spreading from New Hampshire is kind of unlikely - they generally need numbers to survive the winter, and the New Hampshire population is tiny to begin with.
Lots of people see water snakes and think they're rattlers. Tail-shaking (even with a rattling noise - that can be from hitting the snake's body) isn't diagnostic. You need a good look at the rattles, or be familiar with comparative anatomy (head shape for example - rattlesnakes have a sort of "eyebrow" that makes them look angry) which is a bit unlikely because you need to get close.

 

[Bushwacked]

Very, very northwest tip of CT where Mt. Frissel trail from MA enters CT. Trail goes through a section called "Rattlesnake Hill." It is very appropriately named.

 

[Peakbagr]

The Taconic Range is loaded with Copperheads and Timbers.

 

[CaptCaper]

Tried to get a Rattlesnake vaccine for my dog early last spring because we were going to live in the Black HIlls SD for spring,summer,fall and our vet said to get them out there cause there isn't a damand for them here. Got it out in Rapid City. Seems many dog owners out there get it done for the summer season. I saw one in N.Dakota in Theodore Roosevelt NP.

 

[Daniel Eagan]

NY state has closed portions of Breakneck Ridge to protect rattlesnake habitat. I've only seen one there but it was big.

 

[tomcat32]

Tried to get a Rattlesnake vaccine for my dog early last spring because we were going to live in the Black HIlls SD for spring,summer,fall and our vet said to get them out there cause there isn't a damand for them here. Got it out in Rapid City. Seems many dog owners out there get it done for the summer season. I saw one in N.Dakota in Theodore Roosevelt NP.

When I lived in CO, the vaccine was pretty common as were dogs bit by rattlesnakes. I also seen rattlesnake aversion classes for dogs to learn to fear them.

 

[NH2112]

Biddeford is within their historical range but nobody's seen one in Maine in a very long time. You'd think somebody would find a shed skin (with evidence of rattles), or at least get a photo, if there were any left. The idea that they're spreading from New Hampshire is kind of unlikely - they generally need numbers to survive the winter, and the New Hampshire population is tiny to begin with.
Lots of people see water snakes and think they're rattlers. Tail-shaking (even with a rattling noise - that can be from hitting the snake's body) isn't diagnostic. You need a good look at the rattles, or be familiar with comparative anatomy (head shape for example - rattlesnakes have a sort of "eyebrow" that makes them look angry) which is a bit unlikely because you need to get close.

Good info, you’re obviously more knowledgeable about them than I am. If I see a triangular head and/or hear rattling, I think “rattler!” At the time I didn’t know about the triangular head so rattling = rattler. I’m thinking that if there are very few rattlers in Maine then it’s not likely there’ll be many shed skins. How often would they shed in southern Maine’s climate? I’m assuming that the short warm season and long hibernation season would result in very slow growth. Are shed skins eaten by anything?

 

[Ear Drum]

I live adjacent to the Meshomasic State Forest in central Connecticut. We've seen Timber Rattlesnakes around here a few times, on a path or in the road, near the rock ledges they reside in.

Someone lost a dog to a rattler bite nearby this year, very sad.