The largest populations of timber rattlesnakes occur in remote, heavily forested regions of Pennsylvania, which means they often call state forests home.

The area surrounding the proposed site for the multi-use training facility in Nesquehoning is next to state game lands and a number of sightings of this endangered species have been documented around the current Carbon County Emergency Management Agency over the years.The 2.2 million acres of state forest land that Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources' Bureau of Forestry maintain provide the largest blocks of timber rattlesnakes in the northeastern states.DCNR has a number of facts about these creatures, which are frequently misunderstood and feared:• Scientific name: Crotalus horridus• Color phases: dark phase (black) to light phase (yellow or gray), with dark brown or black crossbands.• Mating season: primarily mid-July through early September. The frequency of encounters between humans and timber rattlesnakes increases in July and August when male snakes actively seek mates.• Longevity: 30-plus years• Prompted by favorable ground and air temperatures, Pennsylvania's timber rattlesnakes emerge from their six-month hibernation during late April or early May.• Most dens are found on south-facing slopes under a heavy tree canopy. Snakes emerging from hibernation seek sunny, open, south-facing rocks for basking. Basking raises a snake's body temperature. This helps ward off parasites and infection, restores metabolism after hibernation and facilitates shedding.• Pennsylvania experienced a major decline in its timber rattlesnake population during recent decades, mainly to unrestricted commercial and sport hunting, den raiding and land development.This decline prompted the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission to implement protective regulations and declare the timber rattlesnake as threatened or endangered.The truth is, according to DCNR, timber rattlesnakes just want to be left in peace, are a beneficial part of the ecosystem and without them some of the wild character of Pennsylvania forests would be lost.