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Are there rattlesnakes in New Hampshire?

Last checked November 3, 2026 against official sources.

On this page
  1. The answer
  2. More official answers
  3. Which ones
  4. Where in the US
  5. Lookalikes
  6. If you see one
  7. Official advice
  8. Sources

Yes, but rare.

Only one known population of timber rattlesnakes remains in New Hampshire, and the species is state endangered.

New Hampshire Fish and Game Department: “Currently there is only one known population in NH.” Source

How we answer questions

On New Hampshire's official list

Timber Rattlesnake
Photo: NPS Photo · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Timber Rattlesnake

Crotalus horridus

Venomous per New Hampshire Fish and Game Department

Danger to people
“The bite of this snake can actually be quite dangerous” Northern New England Poison Center
Size
Most adults 36 to 60 inches (3 to 5 feet); record 74.5 inches.
How to recognize it
  • Black tail ending in a rattle
  • Heat-sensing pit between nostril and eye
  • Large, thick head distinct from the neck; cat-like vertical pupil
Where in New Hampshire
Historically ranged from Massachusetts border up to the White Mountains. Currently there is only one known population in NH. New Hampshire Fish and Game Department
Conservation
NH endangered; Species of Greatest Conservation Need
What the sources say

Venom: “New Hampshire has only one venomous snake, the timber rattlesnake, which is protected by law.” (New Hampshire Fish and Game Department)

Habitat: Rocky, south-facing hillsides in wooded areas that are exposed to an abundance of sunlight. Rock ledges and outcroppings on hilltops are used for basking. Deep rock crevices are used as den sites for hibernation. During summer their habitat expands to brushy, forested areas where they often bask in sunspots. Males may travel several miles from den sites during summer and return in the fall. (New Hampshire Fish and Game Department)

Full Timber Rattlesnake guide

All snakes in the state: New Hampshire snakes.

Where the timber rattlesnake lives in the US

Texas: on the state's official listKentucky: on the state's official listGeorgia: on the state's official listWisconsin: on the state's official listMissouri: on the state's official listVirginia: on the state's official listTennessee: on the state's official listLouisiana: on the state's official listNew York: on the state's official listFlorida: on the state's official listIllinois: on the state's official listMinnesota: on the state's official listMaryland: on the state's official listIowa: on the state's official listOhio: on the state's official listNebraska: on the state's official listArkansas: on the state's official listMississippi: on the state's official listNorth Carolina: on the state's official listOklahoma: on the state's official listWest Virginia: on the state's official listIndiana: on the state's official listMassachusetts: on the state's official listPennsylvania: on the state's official listSouth Carolina: on the state's official listMaine: on the state's official listRhode Island: on the state's official listConnecticut: on the state's official listAlabama: on the state's official listKansas: on the state's official listVermont: on the state's official listNew Jersey: on the state's official listNew Hampshire: on the state's official list
Official presence. 33 states where a state list or official source names it. Gray means no official record in our data, not that it is absent.
  • Native or listed
  • Nonnative or not established
  • No official record in our data
Texas: 79 recordsKentucky: 29 recordsGeorgia: 60 recordsWisconsin: 3 recordsMissouri: 22 recordsVirginia: 51 recordsTennessee: 42 recordsLouisiana: 16 recordsNew York: 155 recordsFlorida: 6 recordsIllinois: 9 recordsMinnesota: 2 recordsMaryland: 21 recordsIowa: 2 recordsOhio: 6 recordsNebraska: 5 recordsArkansas: 39 recordsMississippi: 20 recordsNorth Carolina: 41 recordsOklahoma: 7 recordsWest Virginia: 19 recordsIndiana: 4 recordsMassachusetts: 5 recordsPennsylvania: 144 recordsSouth Carolina: 32 recordsConnecticut: 2 recordsAlabama: 115 recordsKansas: 25 recordsNew Jersey: 11 records
Observation records. Open-licence records on GBIF in 29 states. Records are sightings people shared, not confirmation that a population lives there.
  • 1–9
  • 10–99
  • 100–999
  • 1,000+

Timber Rattlesnake: identification, range and danger

What else it could be

  • Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake
    Photo: Kent P. McFarland · CC0 1.0 · iNaturalist

    Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake

    Diamondback has a row of large dark diamonds with brown centers and cream borders, and a light-bordered dark stripe through each eye.

  • Pygmy Rattlesnake
    Photo: Jolieokefenokee · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

    Pygmy Rattlesnake

    Oklahoma (western pygmy rattlesnake): much smaller (usually under 2 feet), spots rather than crossbands, and a very small rattle; it has tiny scales on top of the head where the timber has large scales. Pygmies also have an orange to red-orange midline, so a back stripe does not separate them.

When snakes are seen in New Hampshire

450 records (GBIF, CC0 and CC BY).

If you see one in New Hampshire

Keep your distance and do not try to catch or handle it. NH Fish and Game Wildlife Division (603) 271-2461; Law Enforcement (603) 271-3361. Invasive insects: NHBugs reporting form (nhbugs.org/reporting-form). Stranded marine animals: Seacoast Science Center (603) 997-9448 or the Northeast hotline (866) 755-6622. Sharks: Northeast Shark Hotline (401) 859-1043. New Hampshire Fish and Game Department

What official sources advise

Other questions about New Hampshire

Sources

  1. Timber Rattlesnake (Species Occurring in NH). New Hampshire Fish and Game Department. archived copy, captured November 3, 2026; checked November 3, 2026.
    Quoted passages (2)
    “Currently there is only one known population in NH.”
    “…give birth to live young in the fall before returning to the den to hibernate from November until May.”
  2. Snakes of NH (old site page). New Hampshire Fish and Game Department. archived copy, captured August 1, 2023; checked November 3, 2026.
    Quoted passages (2)
    “New Hampshire has only one venomous snake, the timber rattlesnake, which is protected by law.”
    “If you think you see a timber rattlesnake, please leave it alone, and let us know. There is no reason to kill a New Hampshire snake.”
  3. Is that snake or spider poisonous? Northern New England Poison Center. Posted July 10, 2013; checked November 3, 2026.
    Quoted passages (1)
    “The bite of this snake can actually be quite dangerous”
  4. Eastern Milk Snake (Species Occurring in NH). New Hampshire Fish and Game Department. archived copy, captured June 3, 2025; checked November 3, 2026.
  5. Northern Water Snake (Species Occurring in NH). New Hampshire Fish and Game Department. archived copy, captured June 3, 2025; checked November 3, 2026.
    Quoted passages (1)
    “…water moccasin or cottonmouth (not a NH species)”
  6. Wildlife FAQs. New Hampshire Fish and Game Department. archived copy, captured August 1, 2023; checked November 3, 2026.
    Quoted passages (1)
    “Wildlife Division - (603) 271-2461”
  7. GBIF.org occurrence records, human observations licensed CC0 1.0 or CC BY 4.0 only, accessed November 3, 2026. The datasets behind these counts are listed on our Sources page.