Yes. DEC lists the copperhead as one of three venomous snakes. ESF says it is mainly along the lower Hudson Valley south of Kingston and scattered through the Catskills. SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry
Are there cottonmouths or water moccasins in New York?
No. ESF says the cottonmouth does not occur within state borders. DEC's guide gives its northern limit as southern Virginia. Northern water snakes are often mistaken for it. SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry
Are there coral snakes in New York?
Not on the official list. DEC's checklist has no coral snake and DEC names only three venomous species. NYSDEC
Usually 18 to 30 inches long (New York DEC: 18 to 40 inches, average 27.5). The western massasauga in Arizona reaches only about 22 inches.
How to recognize it
A segmented rattle (a single button in newborns) and vertical, catlike pupils. In Michigan it is the only snake with both.
Nine large plates on top of the head (the timber rattlesnake has many small scales there)
A heat-sensing pit on each side of the head between the eye and nostril; the head is flat and much wider than the neck
Where in New York
There are only two known populations remaining in New York, both of which occur in boggy, forested wetlands NYSDEC
Conservation
New York Endangered; Federal Threatened
What the sources say
Venom: “The massasauga rattlesnake is the smallest of the three venomous snakes found in New York State, the other two being the timber rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus) and the copperhead (Agkistrodon contortrix).” (NYSDEC)
“The venom, which is used primarily to immobilize prey, can be fatal to humans if the bite is untreated …” NYSDEC
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 York
They are now found in smaller numbers throughout the state with isolated populations in southeastern New York, the Southern Tier, and in the edges of the eastern … NYSDEC
Conservation
New York Threatened
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155 records by month.What the sources say
Venom: “…the timber rattlesnake is the largest venomous snake in New York.” (NYSDEC)
Range: They are now found in smaller numbers throughout the state with isolated populations in southeastern New York, the Southern Tier, and in the edges of the eastern Catskills and Adirond
Habitat: Timber rattlesnakes are generally found in deciduous hardwood forests in rugged terrain. (NYSDEC Division of Fish and Wildlife)
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 York
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
3,781 records (GBIF, CC0 and CC BY).
What official sources advise
If you meet a timber rattlesnake, stay 6 feet or more away, let it move on, and do not kill or collect it. NYSDEC
Timber rattlesnake active season: late April to mid-October; emergence often delayed to mid-May in Northern New York. NYSDEC
Eastern Massasauga. NYSDEC. archived copy, captured July 15, 2026; checked November 3, 2026.Quoted passages (2)
“…there are only two known populations remaining in New York”
“The massasauga rattlesnake is the smallest of the three venomous snakes found in New York State, the other two being the timber rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus) and the copperhead (Agkistrodon contortrix).”
“…the massasauga is one of three venomous snakes found”
Timber Rattlesnake. NYSDEC. archived copy, captured October 15, 2026; checked November 3, 2026.Quoted passages (4)
“…the timber rattlesnake is the largest venomous snake in New York.”
“The venom, which is used primarily to immobilize prey, can be fatal to humans if the bite is untreated. However, in New York there have been no records of human deaths attributed to rattlesnakes in the wild during the last several decades.”
“Do not panic! Keep a safe distance of 6ft or more away. Let them move along on their own. Do not kill or collect the individual.”
“Timber rattlesnake have an active season that runs from late April until mid-October. In Northern New York, emergence is often delayed until mid-May.”
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