Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - September/October 2014 - 55

confirmed as being occupied by Timber Rattlesnakes. To
date, more than 1,600 active sites have been verified. Project
volunteers logged nearly 30,000 hours of effort towards
this project. The core areas of the population, especially
in northcentral portions of Pennsylvania, appear to be
doing well. The Timber Rattlesnake is confirmed in 51 of
Pennsylvania's 67 counties. However, questions remain
about how the peripheral populations-those populations
on the edge of the range-are faring. These populations are
more vulnerable, as they are isolated from the most stable
part of the population and within portions of the state
under higher development pressure. Large portions of the
Timber Rattlesnake range remain unsurveyed due to lack of
landowner permissions or access difficulty.

Distribution Map of the Timber Rattlesnake
in Pennsylvania - 2010

While these studies were happening, PFBC was developing
and implementing consultation procedures and avoidance
measures to minimize adverse impacts from development
projects on Timber Rattlesnakes and their habitats. The PFBC's
Division of Environmental Services staff worked with project
proponents and made recommendations to avoid Timber
Rattlesnake critical habitat, den and gestation areas. For health
and safety concerns, Commission staff recommended that
developers use experienced Timber Rattlesnake "monitors"
to move snakes out of harm's way before and during project
construction, and in some cases, create replacement basking
habitats for the snakes. These "monitors" are qualified
and possess the proper scientific permits. Industry has
implemented these recommendations into their project
planning, having monitors move snakes out of work areas,
avoiding potential snakebite scenarios to their workers and
protecting snakes and their critical habitats.
With nearly 75 percent of our Timber Rattlesnake sites
occurring on public lands, our state and federal partners have
played and continue to play a significant role in the recovery of
the Timber Rattlesnake in Pennsylvania. The PFBC is working
with these partners to manage priority gestation habitats on
public lands to benefit the Timber Rattlesnake. Commission
staff also work closely with partners during development
consultations on public land. If the Timber Rattlesnake is
to remain a stable member of Pennsylvania's fauna, these
partnerships will be vital for the management of this species and
ensuring that it stays off Pennsylvania's endangered species list.
PFBC website: www.fishandboat.com

The organized snake hunts, which used to have contests
on who could bring in as many rattlesnakes as possible, have
changed significantly over the years and have become a catch
and release hunt. Today, snake hunters are permitted to enter
only one (live) adult male Timber Rattlesnake into the hunt,
per hunter. After being weighed, measured and outfitted with
a Commission Passive Integrated Transponder (PIT) tag, the
snake must be returned to where it was captured. The hunt
organizer is required by the hunt permit conditions to provide
education to the public about the ecology, natural history,
regulations and conservation of the Timber Rattlesnake.
Even with all of these proactive protection measures in place,
threats still persist for the Timber Rattlesnake in Pennsylvania.
Habitat alteration, road mortality, poaching and wanton
killing are the main culprits. Habitat alteration is a concern
where snake presence is unassessed or when best management
practices are not implemented. Road mortality is a threat,
because snakes move slowly across roads that in the past were
rarely used and now may be used heavily by work trucks in
timber harvest or energy development regions. The Timber
Rattlesnake is listed as threatened or endangered in many
states surrounding Pennsylvania and rare in other parts of the
country, which drives up the black market value for this species
and prompts poaching. Unfortunately, to some, this snake is
still seen as dangerous or a nuisance and is wantonly killed.
Education is critical to preventing these attitudes.
A Species Action Plan was
developed for the Timber
Rattlesnake in June 2011.
Visit www.fishandboat.
com/water/amprep/
species-plan-timberrattlesnake.pdf. The PFBC
has been working with its partners
to implement actions towards the
conservation of the species. Staff
will continue to work to develop
best management practices for the
Timber Rattlesnake and enhanced
public education programs
promoting protection of Timber
Rattlesnakes. Long-term monitoring of
populations initiated in the site assessment
projects will be further developed
to continue our understanding of the
conservation status of the Timber Rattlesnake
in the Commonwealth.
The Timber Rattlesnake has come a long way in
the last 40 years from spiraling towards extirpation
(extinction) in Pennsylvania. Our hope is that
generations to come can admire these animals for their
unique role in our vast forest ecosystem, and they can
remain as one of the last true symbols of wilderness in
Penn's Woods.
To learn more about Timber Rattlesnakes,
photo-Cory Turben
visit www.fishandboat.com/factsnake.pdf.

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http://www.fishandboat.com/water/amprep/species-plan-timber-rattlesnake.pdf http://www.fishandboat.com/water/amprep/species-plan-timber-rattlesnake.pdf http://www.fishandboat.com/water/amprep/species-plan-timber-rattlesnake.pdf http://www.fishandboat.com/factsnake.pdf http://www.fishandboat.com
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - September/October 2014

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