Why is the Rattlesnake Endangered?Humans are the Timber Rattlesnake's most dangerous predator. For a long time, hunting of Timber Rattlesnakes was unregulated. They are hunted for sport, killed by accident, or out of fear. Some also hunt them for their skin. Since the hunting was unregulated, many Timber Rattlesnakes were killed by poachers.
Early Ohioan farmers used slash and burn methods to clear land. This method destroyed all the trees and caused massive destruction to the habitats of Timber Rattlesnakes. This early destruction caused a big hit on the Rattlesnake population. A Timber Rattlesnake, for some reason, will only hibernate in the same den every year. Without this den, they will be unable to hibernate in the winter and die. Human habitat destruction is especially dangerous to Rattlesnakes because of this. Many Rattlesnakes die because people relocate them away from their dens. |
What Can be done to Help? |
The great thing that you can do to help is educate people. A lot of snakes are killed unnecessarily because people are uninformed or unaware. Also, Timber Rattlesnakes are extraordinarily misunderstood. They are generally seen as hostile animals, and are killed by people afraid of them. However, they actually present little danger to humans because of their passive nature. Although they are venomous, they will not attack people unless they are harmed or threatened. Unfortunately, most people don't know this and they are killed out of fear.
Another thing that can be done to help is habitat rehabilitation. New forests can be planted and preserved. This revitalizes the ecosystem for all animals. Rattlesnakes will have new hunting grounds and will be able to build dens without them being destroyed. They would be reintroduced into Ohio and would be able to thrive here again. This is a process that would take a lot of time and energy. However, it is worth it to create a healthy new ecosystem. |