Frank Carini:Trying to save Timber Rattlesnakes, which play useful ecological roles in New England
Timber Rattlesnake
— Photo by Glenn Bartolotti
Text edited and excerpted from an ecoRI News article by Frank Carini
“Providence’s Roger Williams Park Zoo, partnered with New England biologists and conservationists 14 years ago to try to save the region’s remaining Timber Rattlesnake populations.
“The project aligned perfectly with Lou Perrotti’s passion and experience. The zoo’s director of conservation programs believes that it is the responsibility of state wildlife agencies and other stakeholders, such as zoos and aquariums, to protect every species considered to be threatened or endangered, no matter how big or small. They all, even venomous snakes, play a role in ecosystem health.
“For example, research has shown that Timber Rattlesnakes help keep the occurrence of Lyme disease down by preying on deer mice, a popular host of the Lyme-carrying deer tick.
“The Northeast’s population of Timber Rattlesnakes, however, remains in serious decline, because of habitat loss, road mortality, and indiscriminate killing. Perrotti has noted this species historically has had a bounty on its head, which was a significant cause of its extirpation from Rhode Island in the late 1960s.’’