POISONOUS SNAKES IN SOUTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA

      Northern copperhead snakes and timber rattlesnakes are poisonous species that sparingly inhabit woodlands in southeastern Pennsylvania, as well as much of the rest of the state and the eastern United States.  I have been thrilled to see a few of each of these beautifully-color-patterned snakes in southeastern Pennsylvania's woods.  I've seen copperheads in the wooded Susquehanna River hills of Lancaster County and York County and the Furnace Hills of Lancaster County and Lebanon County.  And I saw a few timber rattlesnakes in the forested Blue Ridge Mountains of Berks County and Dauphin County.  Both these snake species also live sparingly in the wooded hills of northern Lebanon and Cumberland Counties.   

     I think these beautiful snakes are particularly exciting to observe because they usually stay well hidden under the cover of  fallen logs, crevices between boulders and piles of fallen leaves in woodlands, and are rarely seen by anyone.  Both these poisonous kinds of snakes have few natural predators, but their populations are declining due to habitat loss through agriculture, timbering and development.  Fortunately, both species are protected by law. 

     Though not related, these snakes have several characteristics in common.  They both have stout bodies, triangular heads because of poison sacks in the backs of their heads, vertical pupils, two heat-sensory pits below their eyes, hollow front teeth they use to inject poison and attractive color patterns that camouflage them quite well on dead-leaf-covered, woodland floors.  Copperheads can be up to 34 inches long, while timber rattlesnakes can grow to be about 36 inches in length.  It takes both species several years to mature, but they can live many years.  And, being reptiles, they are scaly, cold-blooded and hibernate in underground dens through winter.  Pregnant females of both kinds bask in sunlight to allow their embryos to grow.

     Females of both these species give live birth in August and September to about 10 young per litter, on average, every three years.  Each species mates in July and August and the young are born ready to fend for themselves about a year later.   

     Both these kinds of snakes lie hidden and quietly along fallen logs and rocks on woodland floors, particularly at night, and wait to ambush, mice, chipmunks, squirrels and small birds.  Those small mammals and birds would rather move along an obstacle, rather than over it and expose themselves to hawks or foxes.  But some of those prey animals run into a camouflaged poisonous snake and are killed and ingested.    

     I have seen both these poisonous snakes in southeastern Pennsylvania.  I once saw four copperheads sunning themselves on top of a leaf pile.  None ever moved the whole time I spent seeing through their blend-in color patterns.  And one July morning, I saw three timber rattlesnakes curled up, motionless, on sun-soaked boulders.  Both groups of snakes were warming up for the day.      

     Both these poisonous snake species have attractive color patterns on their scales, though their beauties are seldom noted because they hide so well.  Both kinds stick to cover and few people are ever bitten by either species.  I am glad these handsome creatures are protected by law because their wild presence is exciting to acknowledge.  They are not aggressive and only want to be left alone.    

           

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