Kansas Herpetofaunal Atlas

Distribution:
The Timber Rattlesnake is known from the Marais des Cygnes, Kansas and Missouri drainage basins. It enters Kansas from Oklahoma in the Cross Timbers but is conspicuously absent from the Neosho River basin.
The observation at Pittsburg, Crawford County, was reported in the Pittsburg Morning Sun on Wednesday 29 August 2001. The snake was discovered at 11 am basking on the pavement near the south entrance to the Bath-Naylor Funeral Home. The article also stated that this is the third time in 17 years that a rattlesnake has been found inside the Pittsburg City Limits. This record is questionable and additional reports (or preferably specimen[s]) are desired.

(, Museum Voucher) (, Observation) (, Literature Record)
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• Occurrence Summary:  
• 359 Total Records 
• 298 Museum Vouchers 
• 61 Other Observations 

Some county occurrences indicated below may be too imprecise to map above.
County Breakdown: County Name (# occurrences):
Allen (2); Anderson (2); Atchison (15); Bourbon (10); Chautauqua (21); Crawford (8); Doniphan (3); Douglas (82); Elk (6); Franklin (51); Geary (1); Jackson (1); Jefferson (9); Johnson (28); Leavenworth (19); Linn (6); Marshall (16); Miami (33); Montgomery (4); Osage (13); Pottawatomie (2); Riley (10); Shawnee (4); Unknown (5); Wabaunsee (2); Wilson (1); Wyandotte (2);

Natural History:
Active by day during spring and fall in rugged terrain along heavily vegetated, rocky outcrops on partially forested hillsides; in summer, moves to open sparsely wooded meadows and hillsides. Prowls at night during hot weather. Five to 14 young per litter are born in August, September, and October. Feeds on small mammals, as well as on smaller snakes.
Timber Rattlesnakes breed in the spring or fall (July or August) and are sexually mature in 7 to 12 years of age. Males may "combat" with other males. The two snakes intertwine the posterior portion of their bodies together while they raise the anterior half into the air and try to push each other to the ground. The successful male will go on to breed with a female. The females may breed every 2 to 4 years (3 is the most common interval) and may spend their gestation period near the hibernation dens. They do not eat during this period, but they spend much of their time basking. They are ovoviviparous and give birth to about a half-dozen young inside individual membranes. The young are born in August or September and are 10 to 13 inches in length.

Occurrence Activity:
White dates indicate there is at least a single recorded occurrence on that date. The darker blue a date is, the greater the relative number of observations for that date.

Remarks:
Reportedly declining throughout much of its former range, this large, shy snake is generally doing well where it occurs in Kansas. While individually well-camouflaged it is difficult for populations to escape detection, and it is generally a well-known snake where it occurs. Fitch (1984) postulated that prior to settlement, Timber Rattlesnakes were not common and that with greater control of fires and the concomitant increase in forests their populations increased. However, over the past 50 years, there is ample evidence suggesting an overall decline in numbers and populations.
In less urbanized areas the Timber Rattlesnake is abundant despite its large size and venomous disposition, and populations have probably changed little in the past 50 years. In urban areas, the greatest threat it faces is habitat conversion for development. In these areas (Wyandotte, Johnson, and Douglas counties specifically) populations are certainly declining.
Enough data exists to show that many populations of Timber Rattlesnakes still persist in less developed portions of Johnson, Wyandotte, and Douglas counties. Local extinctions and fragmentation have already occurred, and more is inevitable, however now is the time to ensure that enough of these areas are protected to avoid the regional extinction of this species.
The Timber Rattlesnake was listed as a Kansas SINC species in 1993.

Bibliography:

Account Last Updated:
2/18/2020 9:18:17 AM