The Hudson Valley is one of five most rattlesnake-infested areas on the Atlantic Coast, according to the World Atlas, a website that publishes content about resources surrounding travel and other topics.
Within the Empire State, the timber rattlesnake is generally found in mountainous and hilly areas of southeastern New York including in the Southern Tier and near the Catskill and Adirondack mountains, according to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.
Here’s more about New York’s snake-infested areas:
Hudson Valley, New York
According to the World Atlas, the most rattlesnake-dense section of the Hudson Valley “lies within the rugged corridor stretching from the Hudson Highlands north toward Bear Mountain State Park and Storm King Mountain. This is core habitat for the timber rattlesnake in the northern U.S.”
New York considers the timber rattlesnake a threatened species – in part due to unregulated collection, indiscriminate killing and habitat destruction, according to the DEC. But in the Highlands, numbers remain comparatively strong due to protected public land and restricted development along much of it, according to the World Atlas.
Steep, fractured bedrock provides the bulk of reliable den sites within the Hudson Valley, while south-facing slopes, of which there are many, offer critical basking terrain in spring and fall. Likelihood of encounters are greatest between late April and October as the timber rattlesnakes concentrate on craggy ridgelines and well-used hiking trails overlooking the Hudson River, according to the World Atlas.
Timber Rattlesnakes in NY
According to the DEC, the timber rattlesnake is the largest venomous snake in the Empire State. A member of the pit-viper family, the timber rattlesnake typically measures 3 to 4 feet long. They primarily eat squirrels, chipmunks, vole, mice, small birds and amphibians.
The venom, which is used primarily to immobilize prey, can be fatal to humans if the bite is untreated. However, in New York there have been no records of human deaths attributed to rattlesnakes in the wild during the last few decades, according to the DEC.
Contrary to popular opinion, a rattlesnake will not pursue or attack a person unless threatened or provoked, DEC officials noted.
Timber rattlesnakes are mostly located in southeastern New York, the Southern Tier, and in the edges of the eastern Catskills and Adirondacks. Timber rattlesnakes are generally found in deciduous hardwood forests in rugged terrain, according to the DEC.
Other snake-infested regions on the Atlantic Coast
According to the World Atlas, four other snake-filled regions in the eastern United States include
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Hudson Valley is a rattlesnake hot spot. What to know
Reporting by Victoria E. Freile, New York Connect Team / Rockland/Westchester Journal News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
