Rattlesnakes: out and about

SHARON — While driving in Sharon at about 6 p.m. on July 8, Anthony Hazel and Jared Levin noticed two snakes twisting and rolling off to the side of the road. They were near Hazel’s home on a wooded back road. 

Quick to document the goings-on, Levin took out his cellphone to snap a few pictures and make two short videos of the snakes. 

Though neither were able to identify the exact species of snake they were watching, both were aware that they had just witnessed something notable. They sent their images to The Lakeville Journal; The Journal sent them on with a query to Sean Grace, director of the Sharon Audubon center, and to Michael Klemens, a nationally noted expert in herpetology (the study of reptiles) who lives in Salisbury.

As soon as he saw the images, Grace emailed back to say that the two were a pair of male timber rattlesnakes engaged in an epic struggle. 

The two snakes, each about four-and-a-half to five feet long, were competing for dominance. What was even more interesting to Grace was that, in addition to capturing an intimate moment of natural struggle, Levin’s footage showed the two main color variants for timber rattlesnakes: a pale tan with dark “saddle” patches and the much rarer black-scaled variety. 

“Cryptic colors of camouflage plays into natural selection and avoiding being seen by predators and likely success in remaining undetected with prey animals,” he explained of the dark coloring, noting that one reason the darker ones seem rare is they’re harder to see. 

Klemens also weighed in on the find, mentioning that due to the dry weather this year, male snakes of many species are out early in search of food and water. Though he was able to identify the specific local den which the two combatant timber rattlesnakes came from, he advised that their exact location not be released. Grace agreed.

Both Klemens and Grace also agreed that timber rattlesnakes are by and large fairly even-tempered as far as rattlesnakes go, and are likely to only attack people or other large animals if a direct attempt is made to move them or if they are faced with another similar threat. 

Their range covers an area from New Hampshire in the Northeast to eastern Texas in the Southwest. Timber rattlesnakes are listed as an endangered species in the state of Connecticut and as such are heavily protected; for that reason, the experts asked that the location of the snakes not be revealed. 

Like other snakes, the timber rattlesnakes play a key role in keeping local rodent populations from getting out of hand. This is especially important this year, as the mild winter (and an abundnance of edible mast last autumn) has led to a great increase in the number of eastern chipmunks in the area.

Grace and Klemens urged that, if at all possible, drivers make an effort to avoid hitting the reptiles and amphibians that can be found basking on or crossing roads. Killing or harvesting timber rattlesnakes or other protected species is illegal and can lead to fines and other legal action.

Anyone who sees or suspects illegal wildlife activities should call the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection at 860-424-3333.