Comments on: Encounter with a timber rattler

By: Jan Golding

Jan Golding — Sat, 09 Oct 2010 02:52:04 +0000

I came upon one at Minnewaska on 09/13/10. He/she was at the edge of a trail, on a rocky ledge overlooking the south end of Lake Awosting. I was on my bike and before realizing it was there, I thought I may have had something caught in the spokes of my bike. The rattling was best described as a very loud buzzing. It was coiled on the ledge just off the trail. It stopped rattling after about twenty seconds and remained fairly still as I snapped off a few pictures with my Blackberry. Not a long snake, but very thick. I spend a lot of time at Minnewaska, both on the carriageways and foot paths. This is my only sighting. Very cool experience.

By: stevek13

stevek13 — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 19:11:28 +0000

Nice story. I’ve seen timber rattlesnakes in the Tongue Mt. range and in the Berkshires. They were quite beautiful and very non-agressive.

By: Phil

Phil — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 13:07:42 +0000

Tom McG., I hadn’t heard about a death in Minnewaska. A quick google came up empty. Does anybody know anything about this?

The DEC fact sheet no doubt was written several years ago, before the dates you mention. If there was a death, it obviously has not been updated.

By: Tom McG

Tom McG — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 12:06:25 +0000

Phil,
I have been fortunate to have seen a couple of Rattlesnakes on Tongue Mt, over the years. They blend in to their surroundings so well that they are very hard to spot.
I question one quote from DEC…
“In New York there have been no records of human deaths attributable to rattlesnakes in the wild during the last several decades,”

Wasn’t there a death from a rattlesnake bite a few years ago (Spring of 2007 or 08) at Minnawaska State Park, outside of New Paltz? I recall reading where a bicyclist spotted one on one of the carriage trails and while pointing it out to his fellow riders he was bitten. I thought he died from the bite. Does anyone else recall this incident?

By: TOM

TOM — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 18:42:46 +0000

Nice pictures and information.I’ll hike these trails on snowshoes.

By: Seth

Seth — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 22:04:48 +0000

Thanks Harvey! I wish I got a shot of it stretched out, but as soon as I drove up it coiled up. I’ve always wanted to see a Rattlesnake in the Adirondacks, it just goes to show things happen when you least expect them. A beautiful site indeed.

By: Harvey44

Harvey44 — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 17:39:07 +0000

Those are some beautiful photos. I had always thought Rattlers were brought to Tongue Mtn by someone. I didn’t realize that it’s actually (barely) within there natural range.

By: Phil

Phil — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 16:49:15 +0000

Lisa, thanks for sharing your firsthand knowledge. Perhaps it’s not so surprising that hikers are rarely bit, as the snakes avoid people and bite only if they feel threatened.

By: Lisa Switser

Lisa Switser — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 16:06:34 +0000

I found this article very interesting because I live near Buck Mountain and sleeping Beauty in Fort Ann. My house is in the adirondack park and I see a handful of Timber rattlesnakes every summer. This Year i have seen more then a few, a lot more. Most of these are small ( a few feet long) but last week I did see a very large rattler that was crossing the road. I have often wondered why the state does not post this area with cautionary signs for walkers, hikers or Bikers to warn them of the rattlesnakes. I am really surprised no one has been bitten up here with the number of rattlers I have come across this summer alone. Also, I have seen these snakes in black like the one pictured above and I have seen them in the more yellowish color. I have seen about a handful in the lighter color and typically they only coil when extremely disturbed by a passing car, ect. I have heard them rattle many times and we stop to observe them froma safe distance. I would say by the amount of the Rattlesnakes i have seen over the past 8 years I have lived here that the rattlesnake population is doing very well.