NO. 051
Reptile guests
Eastern massasauga rattlesnake
Dark blotches along a thick body
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NO. 052
Illustration · not shown at life size
Illustration · not shown at life sizeReptile guests / Snake
Timber rattlesnake
Crotalus horridus
Follow the dark bands around this rattlesnake’s coils. It lives among Wisconsin’s wooded bluffs and rocky hillsides.
A Wisconsin native from western and southwestern bluff country. Its native Wisconsin range does not include the southeast.
Let’s look closerLittle clues
Three things to notice.
Dark zigzag bands across the body.
A dark tail before the pale rattle.
Rattle pieces knock together to buzz.
Out in the world
Where it lives.
Western and southwestern Wisconsin
Rocky wooded bluffs, forest edges, and sunny openings.
When to look
Active from spring into fall; spends winter in deep rock crevices.
Watch from a distance with a grownup. Never touch a snake or reach into rock crevices.
A closer look
One clue is just the start.
A new rattle segment forms when the snake sheds its skin. Segments can break off, and snakes can shed more than once a year, so counting them does not tell you its age.
A special find can be hard to spot without being biologically rare. Encounters depend on season and habitat.
Keep exploring
Meet the neighbors.
For curious grownups, too
Read a little further.
Original summaries, with references for deeper reading.
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Artwork & downloads.
Drag a PNG image into xTool Studio, or use its download button. Images use the full-resolution files.
Relief depth PNG — prototype
Matches this front · dark lettering 0.5 mm, outline 0.1 mm at 1 mm maximum
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Front artwork is made for a 3-inch clear disc. Revised artwork still needs a physical check. Disc backs are blank; use the single carrier QR from the print studio to open the field guide.
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