Environmental Conservation Office Dustin Osborne has responded to six rattlesnake complaints over the past several weeks, including five at the same residence in Delaware County, according to a press release issued by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.
A Hancock resident reported a timber rattlesnake near the front entrance of his home July 22. Osborne, a member of the DEC’s Division of Law Enforcement Wildlife Response Team, responded and safely removed and relocated the snake.
Osborne responded to the same residence July 29, Aug. 5, and Aug. 11, removing four more rattlesnakes, including a possible mating pair.
In addition, on Aug. 4, Osborne received a complaint of a five-foot-long timber rattlesnake on the deck of a home in the town of Deposit, also in Delaware County. Osborne responded, located the snake, safely removed it, and relocated it into the wild.
Timber rattlesnakes typically mate from late summer into the fall. They are venomous pit vipers native to New York state and are considered a threatened species, protected by state law.
Timber rattlesnakes seldom display aggression unless defending themselves.
The public is reminded to leave snakes alone, observe snakes from a safe distance, and call ECOs or DEC’s Division of Fish and Wildlife for assistance with removal.
