Funny thing happened to me this afternoon at Coopers Rock State Forest while I was photographing a p

Funny thing happened to me this afternoon at Coopers Rock State Forest while I was photographing a patch of purple trillium growing on top of a large boulder.  I noticed a quick movement at the periphery of my vision. A timber rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus) was coiled up in the leaf litter next to my foot. I was quite surprised because these snakes almost never come out of their dens until late May when the weather is consistently warm. Fortunately, both snake and human kept their composures, and I was able to step out of harm’s way.  After I snapped a couple photos, the rattlesnake got tired of me and slithered back into its den under the boulder.

Couple notes:

1. Once again, despite its fearsome reputation, this snake proved completely docile and non-aggressive in person.

2. It’s easy to understand how people inadvertently step on these snakes and get bitten; they often lie silently in the leaf litter and blend in so readily you don’t even notice them until you’re on top of them.

3. Timber rattlesnakes and copperheads are both protected by law in West Virginia’s state parks and forests.  It’s illegal to kill these snakes or remove them from their natural habitats.