Rattlesnakes

[Buckwheat]

Lookn4fur
Was in the mountains last week and found a black and a yellow phase laying on the road just before dark heading back to camp.
I was hiking  around in the woods and figured they would have been back at there den area. Boy was I wrong, I should of had Snake boots on.

[Hern]

What time of year do Rattlesnakes den for the winter?
It's in the 30's degree in northern Pa. this morning & yesterday morning. 40's around our home.

Do most species of snakes, in Pa., den around the same time frame; water, black, copperhead, milk, rat, ring, garter snakes?

[Lookn4Fur]

Interesting.  Who is to say that wasn't close to their den though.  Dening occurs late September through October mostly but there can be some stragglers through early November.  The snakes you saw were probably heading towards the den.  Its the ground temperature along with the air temperature that determines when the snakes den but there are no magic numbers.

Hern, I do believe most snakes den around the same time and some can even den together.

[Buckwheat]

Lookn4fur
Thanks for the snake information.
The last thing on my mind was snakes wile I was checking out places. With the cold nights up there. We even had a cool rain two days before I seen the snakes.

[Hern]

Thanks Lookn4snakes2densoon.

[Hern]

Here's a camping snake story...
Grandson (was very young at the time) and I were gathering some kindling wood to start the camp fire. It was dark. I told him to watch for snakes, Rattlesnakes and stay close.
Soon he was wrestling around over there. With my dim flashlight I saw he has something about 5' long and the diameter half the size of my wrist.
Scared, I hurried over and ask what he had.
He turned around and had a dried Pine branch.
"I got a Rattlestick, Pop!"
I still laugh about that.