New York State Department of Environmental Conservation received an anonymous tip July 4 that a timber rattlesnake had been intentionally killed a in the town of Hancock. Officers gathered additional information and discovered the person also skinned and butchered the snake with a plan to eat it.
Environmental Conservation Officer Dustin Osborne interviewed the subject July 7 and recovered the remains of a three-foot timber rattlesnake killed by a BB gun on July 4. The officer confiscated the remains and ticketed the individual for unlawfully killing protected wildlife.
Timber rattlesnakes are venomous pit vipers, native to New York state. They are considered a threatened species and are protected by state law. Timber rattlesnakes seldom display aggression unless defending themselves. The public is reminded to leave the snakes alone and observe from a safe distance.
