Need Help Identifying Snake

[clayshooter25]

Need the assistance of the Snakesperts out there.  My nephew came upon this snake while hiking the Doodletown trail by Bear mountain state park.  He looked online and it looks like a Timber Rattlesnake.

What are you expert thoughts?

Edited June 12, 2017 by clayshooter25

[Chef]

Looks like a timber rattler to me


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[Doc]

Did it have any rattles?

[Pygmy]

Timber rattler....

[growalot]

young one they add rattles as they age...just as poisonous though

[clayshooter25]

He didn't see (or hear) any rattling - which would have been a dead give away.

Not sure he wanted to get any closer.  I know I certainly wouldn't have.

I'm sure if I say I hate snakes, someone will jump all over me - - so just let me say I fear snakes ;-)

Because I do!!!

[grampy]

For sure, that's a timber rattler!  Very cool to see one in NYS.

Edited June 12, 2017 by grampy

[Pygmy]

18 minutes ago, clayshooter25 said:

He didn't see (or hear) any rattling - which would have been a dead give away.

Not sure he wanted to get any closer.  I know I certainly wouldn't have.

I'm sure if I say I hate snakes, someone will jump all over me - - so just let me say I fear snakes ;-)

Because I do!!!

Don't feel alone, Clayshooter...Fear of snakes is the second most common phobia in this country, next to fear of heights..

Snakes don't bother me, although I would not care to share my sleeping bag with one...I am, however VERY much scared of heights...Put me up on a ladder and I useless...All I can do is tremble and hang on...  My most common nightmares involve being stuck up on cliffs or high buildings with nothing or little to hang on to..

[Curmudgeon]

That is special. I'm jealous. I haven't seen a timber rattler since 72 or 73.

[Pygmy]

Come on out, Curmudgeon....I can take you out in the Cameron/Cameron Mills area and find you one in short order...

A local snake expert ( now deceased)  told me that that area has the densest timber rattler population in NYS....Now that they are threatened, the DEC  is managing the area  with the snakes in mind...

Lots of snakes in some places in PA also...A friend of mine and his wife rode the bike trail along Pine Creek between Ansonia and Blackwell a couple years back and saw 17  timber rattlers along the trail....he had some some very cool pictures to share..

[Pygmy]

Smokein TN.....Jeff.. The local snake expert was Walt Young..Remember when he had his sign shop on Market ST ?....very knowledgeable gentleman when snakes were involved...

Edited June 12, 2017 by Pygmy

[SmokeinTN]

4 minutes ago, Pygmy said:

Smokein TN.....Jeff.. The local snake expert was Walt Young..Remember when he had his sign shop on Market ST ?....very knowledgeable gentleman when snakes were involved...

Remember him well Dan. He was very knowledgeable about all species of snakes. He was bitten a lot if I remember right. He always spoke at various venue's when invited. A special kind of talent.

[Curmudgeon]

1 hour ago, Pygmy said:

Come on out, Curmudgeon....I can take you out in the Cameron/Cameron Mills area and find you one in short order...

A local snake expert ( now deceased)  told me that that area has the densest timber rattler population in NYS....Now that they are threatened, the DEC  is managing the area  with the snakes in mind...

Lots of snakes in some places in PA also...A friend of mine and his wife rode the bike trail along Pine Creek between Ansonia and Blackwell a couple years back and saw 17  timber rattlers along the trail....he had some some very cool pictures to share..

I'm sure you could but I don't travel much. I grew up near Bear Mountain where the OP took the photo. It was on one of my teenage jaunts that I encountered the only timber rattler I've seen in the wild. I found many more copperheads.

[Dinsdale]

Easy to find them off trails near Mass/CT/NY border near me; after a cold night they try getting warm on south facing rocks. Big den site near a job I was doing with a researcher who was very keen on talking snakes as a regular visitor when we were working there.

I should really try to take more pics, but they are fun to watch.

Three in this pic,one is just in the edge of the frame near top right.

Edited June 13, 2017 by Dinsdale

[grampy]

Though not common, we have some in the Albany hilltowns. I've known a den site, since I was a boy.  Also a few copperheads as well over the last 50 years. But have seen the rattlers much more.

[The_Real_TCIII]

I picked one up with the end of my fly rod from the rip-rap on Elton creek a lot of years ago. I watch those Leatherwood guys in Pa find tons of them during their season. Check out their YouTube channel

[Doc]

As far as I am concerned, every poisonous snake could all of a sudden become extinct and this world would be a much better place. And when they go, they can take the mosquitos, black flies, gnats and ticks with them, and likely no one would ever miss any of them....... Particularly me!

[skully]

It is not uncommon to see them in bear mtn or in parts of wingdale and dover plains. On south east mtn road in wingdale I have seen big ones dead on road.

[turkeyfeathers]

On 6/12/2017 at 0:11 PM, Pygmy said:

Fear of snakes is the second most common phobia in this country, next to fear of heights..

 

So the movie Snakes on a plane has to mortify a lot of people ?! 

[bugsNbows]

On 6/12/2017 at 6:25 PM, Pygmy said:

Smokein TN.....Jeff.. The local snake expert was Walt Young..Remember when he had his sign shop on Market ST ?....very knowledgeable gentleman when snakes were involved...

I remember Walt. He came to a Boy Scout meeting one year and dropped a bag of snakes on the floor! The meeting was at the gun club (Nellie Ayers ???) up Beartown Hill. Quite the guy!