Rattlesnakes Are Leaving Their Hudson Valley Dens
Read the following statement to the tune of "It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year": It's the most terrifying time of the year.
Okay so that might be a little dramatic, however, I'm not a fan of snakes so it's on-brand for me.
OnlyInYourState.Com kindly reminded me that rattlesnakes are emerging from their dens in New York State. And just to ease my mind I followed up with a quick search on the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation website.
The DEC confirms that Timber Rattlesnakes make their yearly debut late April and mid May.
They say that these venomous snakes depending on their gender enjoy living in different climates. For instance, the DEC reports that "females seem to prefer open, rocky ledges where temperatures are higher, while the males and non-gravid females seem to prefer cooler, thicker woods where the forest canopy is more closed."
Timber Rattlesnakes can be found around the Hudson Valley and Catskill region.
It looks like a beautiful weekend for hiking in the Hudson Valley, so if you do find yourself out and about make sure to be aware of your surroundings.
From personal experience, just last week I saw 3 snakes on the trail of Gertrudes Nose at Lake Minnewaska (couldn't tell you if they were rattlesnakes, though). And just another reminder, Overlook trail in Woodstock is a rattlesnake sanctuary, a fact I learned about when I hiked it for the first time over the summer.
Happy hiking, Hudson Valley!