Canebrake Rattlesnake

Crotalus horridus

RANGE Northern Florida and west central U.S. to Texas

HABITAT Dense thickets, cane fields, and rocky hills

DIET Birds, small mammals, reptiles, and insects

Canebrake rattlesnakes are also called timber rattlesnakes. These venomous snakes puncture the skin with two fangs that fold back up into the roof of its mouth when closed. The venom is made of complex proteins that enters the bloodstream and destroys blood cells and tissues.

This snake is not especially aggressive and will retreat rather than fight. If it cannot escape, it may vibrate its rattle (at the end of the tail) and strike repeatedly with its mouth either opened or closed. The rattle is a series of hard segments made of keratin.