Nearly three weeks ago I was “watching” the weather forecasts waiting for a cool, but mostly sunny day. The week or two preceding this were predominantly cool and with light to moderate north winds. Millions of migrating songbirds are awaiting more favorable southerly breezes to make their migration north a bit easier. But it wasn’t only the myriad of migrants I was hoping to see. My bucket list this year included finding some rattlesnakes to photograph.

With some warmth finally, they should be just coming out of hibernation and looking for a sunny location to warm their bodies. (Remember, all reptiles are poikilothermic/cold-blooded.)

One of my favorite nature areas offers a fire line (widened dirt road to help stop fires and aid in getting equipment there), a small, beautiful mountain stream gurgling nearby, and after a mile or longer uphill walk I reach a steep rocky mountainside.

On this morning I’ve already added three new birds to my annual list and actually saw 40 different bird species. To add to a great day afield I saw two still very pregnant does, a denning raccoon, numerous chipmunks and a garter snake. After my slow ascent glassing trees for new birds I reached my objective. I now reached the steepest slope where many large rocks cover the forest floor and it was in that area I hoped to find snakes.

After about 5 minutes of careful footsteps (the ferns were now about 5 inches high) I heard the distinctive buzzing and about 5 feet from me was a rather large yellow phase timber rattlesnake. My camera was already in my hand and I immediately took my first photo. Unfortunately, the camera display read “replace battery.”

Egad, I didn’t want it to make it to the rocks and disappear so I made my fastest battery change ever. He/she rattled for about 1 more minute as I carefully circled around it snapping photos. He/she hardly moved after that. Most rattlesnakes den up in winter with others and historically they usually use the same den sites. So I was careful not to step on another. It was the only one there.

Rattlers den by early October, getting underground deep enough where the temperature stays about 50 degrees. After about seven months they emerge from hibernation, warm themselves, and eventually look for mice, chipmunks and other small mammals.

A female takes about five years to mature and breeds in late summer. The next August she will give birth to about a dozen live young which actually formed in eggs inside her body. They only breed every other year and can live 30 to 50 years. (Remember, they are only active about five months of the year, and like turtles, can live a rather long time.)

Rattlesnakes are pit vipers, have a heat sensing pit between their nostril and eye. Since in summer they are mostly nocturnal, they use these pits to detect the heat of a small animal and strike. A snake can only strike out about half the length of its body. I estimated this snake at about 3 feet in length so I felt entirely safe at 4 or 5 feet away.

Rattlesnakes and copperheads are protected and managed under the regulations of the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission. Occasionally people do get bitten. When I am in “rattlesnake country” I wear long pants and higher hiking shoes to contain my heat close to my body.

Test Your Outdoor Knowledge: True/False, the rattlesnake I encountered had nine rattles so it was 9 years old.

Last Week’s Trivia Answer: When a bullfrog catches an insect, to help it swallow the prey, it pulls its eyes downward into the roof of its mouth to help push the food to the back of its mouth.

Contact Barry Reed at breed71@gmail.com.