Timber Rattlesnake

“Radio-tagged Timber Rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus) that was part of John Hewlett’s disease and spatial ecology research. Timber Rattlesnakes are a species of conservation concern throughout much of their distribution. The reasons for this range from habitat loss to direct persecution. It was the goal of this research to investigate the effects of stress and disease on habitat selection using a variety of techniques from qPCR to aerial and ground-based radio-telemetry as well as specialized immunoassays. Ultimately, the plight of species such as the Timber Rattlesnake may be interwoven with the plight of us all as habitat degradation and destruction carry wide sweeping consequences.” – John Hewlett