[JustaDumbBlonde]

Timber rattlers are pretty snakes ... from a distance.

[MissMagnolia]

I agree .... and from a distance for sure! I’ve seen very ‘yellowish’ ones early spring after shedding (looked like a darn python, as big around as my arm & I was with a biologist so we’re sure it was a Timber) and one that was so dark it almost looked black in mid-fall. The “prettiest” one I ever saw was lying across the trail, head cocked funny, looked dead initially until my snake-hating companion got a long stick & tried to move it. Instant angry rattler coiled smack dab in a sun puddle in the middle of the trail. The sun on its skin illuminated the colors and as mad/scary as it was, it was gorgeous! Turns out, it had killed a mouse & was holding it in preparation to eating it which is why it got angry at being disturbed. Hopefully, after we cleared out, it was able to go back to eating dinner.

[MissMagnolia]

I was doing research this a.m. for an article I'm writing for the maintainer crews based on their Timber Rattlesnake sighting/picture. I came across a great video that talks about the TRs & also shows both color phases together (towards the end of the video) ... the black & yellow. We do get them around the shelter not infrequently because they are attracted to the mice & the more people know/understand about them, the less likely they are to do something stupid .... like kill them - it's a felony to kill them (National Park in Va.) where we see them.

Timber Rattlesnake Survey