Crotalus horridus
Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~60%
The timber rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus), also known commonly as the banded rattlesnake, and the canebrake rattlesnake in the southern United States, is a species of pit viper in the family Viperidae. The species is native to the eastern United States. Like all other pit vipers, it is venomous, with a very toxic bite. Its venom is extremely potent, and both hemorrhagic and neurotoxic venom are present depending on population and location. C. horridus is the only rattlesnake species in most of the populous Northeastern United States and is one of the most northerly distributed venomous snakes in North America. There are no subspecies that are recognized as being valid.
The timber rattlesnake was one of the many reptile species originally described by Carl Linnaeus in the landmark 1758 10th edition of his Systema Naturae, and still bears its original name Crotalus horridus. Based on an analysis of geographic variation, Pisani et al. (1972) concluded... Wikipedia →
Recording0:08
United States · 2023
© Josh Emm · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
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United States · 2026
© ccapp · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
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United States · 2020
© Ty Smith · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shenandoah National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Great Smoky Mountains National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Congaree National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Busch Gardens Tampa | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | San Diego Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | National Zoological Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | California Academy of Sciences | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | North Carolina Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Greensboro Science Center | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Abilene Zoological Gardens | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | Toronto Zoo | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 10 | Columbus Zoo and Aquarium | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 11 | Bronx Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 12 | Sedgwick County Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 13 | Milwaukee County Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 14 | Dallas Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 15 | Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 16 | Cape May County Park & Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 17 | Birmingham Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 18 | Louisville Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 19 | Guadalajara Zoo | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 20 | Audubon Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 21 | Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 22 | Saint Louis Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 23 | Caldwell Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 24 | Franklin Park Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 25 | Catoctin Wildlife Preserve and Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 26 | Dickerson Park Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 27 | Indianapolis Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 28 | Zoo Knoxville | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 29 | Memphis Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 30 | Metro Richmond Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 31 | Three Sisters Springs | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 32 | Virginia Zoological Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 33 | Houston Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 34 | San Antonio Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 35 | Cameron Park Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 36 | Potter Park Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 37 | Zoo Atlanta | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 38 | The Wild Safari | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 39 | Faunia | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 40 | Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 41 | Riverbanks Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 42 | Western North Carolina Nature Center | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 43 | Lehigh Valley Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 44 | The Abilene Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 45 | Henry Vilas Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 46 | Safari Masai Mara | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 47 | Alligator Adventure | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 48 | Gator Country LA Alligator Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 49 | North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 50 | Reptile Gardens | 🇺🇸 United States |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Timber Rattlesnake sighting in Congaree National Park on a given day, based on 7 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 21st most-seen of the 22 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 60%, if each day is a fresh chance.
June and August–October
In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Timber Rattlesnake in Congaree National Park on a given day, against under 5% in July and November–March, the lowest months.
Between 1 and 4 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Timber Rattlesnake sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
3rd of 3
Of the 3 parks where we can rate Timber Rattlesnake sightings, Congaree National Park ranks 3rd at about 10%. The best odds are in Shenandoah National Park (United States, about 30%) and Great Smoky Mountains National Park (United States, about 30%).
Same family: Viperidae
The closest relatives of the Timber Rattlesnake that you can see in Congaree National Park (family Viperidae, Vipers) are Northern Cottonmouth (about 60%) and Eastern Copperhead (about 30%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Timber Rattlesnake is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Congaree National Park (7 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
