Timber rattlesnake skeleton, Crotalus horridus

Common Name: Timber rattlesnake
Scientific Name: Crotalus horridus
Order: Squamata
Family: Viperidae
Dimensions: Centimetres: 4 (length of skull)
Image Number: ROM2004_1062_12

Vipers are the most widely distributed family of venomous snakes, with about 200 species in Africa, Europe, Asia and North and South America. They are characterised by fangs which are folded back when not in use and extended to inject venom when needed. Rattlesnakes are anatomically specialised vipers which are found in North, Central and South America, and can be readily identified by the rattle at the tip of the tail.

Timber rattlesnakes were once present in Ontario, but have not been found here since the 1940s. They are common in the eastern United States and may occur in southern Quebec. The only venomous snake which occurs in Ontario is the massasauga, a small rattlesnake.