Timber rattlesnakes in Deam Wilderness captured on video in hypnotic dance for dominance

Nick Engler went hiking in the Charles C. Deam Wilderness just south of Lake Monroe on July 24 with his dog. He expected an experience like his many other treks down the forested paths.

"It was a standard hike, not even close to the water," he said. Engler parked in the Grubb Ridge Trail parking area and traveled a mile down the trail.

A fallen tree crossed the trail and a smaller trail let hikers pass by. While they walked the more narrow trail, Engler's dog, Bumblebee, tried to turn and run.

Engler said he heard rattling and saw what looked like two snakes suspended in air.

Engler was about 30 or 40 feet away from two intertwined timber rattlesnakes pushing against each other as they rose up, head-first, tails rattling.

"My brain couldn't figure out what that was," Engler said. "And I thought, yeah, those are two snakes."

They were timber rattlesnakes, and big ones at that. Engler estimated they were about 5 feet long and "as big around as a 1-liter Coke bottle. I was shocked as they were kind of suspended in the air. They were huge. I did not think snakes got that big in Indiana."

Engler watched, and FaceTimed with his parents. He also took video that he later posted on Facebook. Those three videos were posted in many groups, leading to hundreds if not thousands of comments.

While he was taping, Engler realized one of the snakes slithered away. It was then the other snake, coiled with its rattle still shaking, spotted Engler, who backed down the trail and left the snake alone.

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Or at least that's what Engler thought. Someone who watched the videos spotted another snake off to the side. What Engler has since learned is the two snakes were male, fighting for dominance and the right to mate with the likely female waiting nearby.

"They're not fighting to kill each other," Engler explained. "It's a display of dominance."

Rattlesnakes in Indiana

Nate Engbrecht, herpetologist for the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, agrees the two timber rattlesnakes were fighting for dominance and the chance to mate. Timber rattlesnakes are a state-endangered species in Indiana but are common in Brown and eastern Monroe counties, he said. People may notice more timber rattlesnakes in July and August because it's breeding season for the reptiles and males are seeking a mate.

In Indiana, Brown and Monroe counties and places in the Hoosier National Forest are the last remaining core area for timber rattlesnakes, which are found from the East Coast, across the Great Lakes states and into Oklahoma and Kansas, Engbrecht said. If you're encountering a venomous snake, the timber rattlesnake is a better option than some others, including the copperhead, which is also found in Indiana, he said.

"They are a pretty docile snake," said Engbrecht, who was part of a project studying timber rattlesnakes in Yellowwood and Morgan-Monroe state forests. "Sometimes they don't even rattle when you come upon them."

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Engbrecht warned hikers to be wary crossing fallen trees in timber rattlesnake territory. The snakes are ambush predators and often lay along or near fallen trees waiting for a squirrel or chipmunk to scamper past. The snakes bite their prey then use scent to follow it to where it lays dead from venom. Their prey range from mice and voles to squirrels and occasionally frogs and salamanders.

Engler, who lives in Indianapolis and attended Indiana University in Bloomington, was never concerned about encountering snakes before. Now he's decided he'll wear ankle-high boots and longer pants, not the shorts he had on when he saw the rattlesnakes, when he hikes trails in the Deam wilderness.

"A lot of people were saying I should have shot them," he said. "There was no reason to, I could just go around them."

Help tracking the snakes

Whoever told Engler he should have shot the snakes must not be aware timber rattlesnakes are an endangered species in Indiana. People can kill them only when there is immediate danger to a person's health and safety, Engbrecht said.

He suspects many people pass close to a timber rattlesnake and never see it since the snakes often blend in with fallen leaves and detritus. Besides finding snakes alongside fallen trees, Engbrecht said early in the spring and late in fall they are often near their winter den sites. Since timber rattlesnakes can live for 20 to 30 years, they often return to the same den and hunting locations.

"Getting to know them has made me have an even greater appreciation of them," Engbrecht said, adding the snakes know the landscape where they live.

Anyone who sees a timber rattlesnake while out in the woods, especially west of Bloomington or in Lawrence or Martin counties, is asked to send a photo and information about where it was seen to herpsurveys@dnr.in.gov.

What happens if you are bitten by a snake?

While the chances of being bitten by a venomous snake in Indiana are small, Engbrecht said people need to understand there are four venomous snakes out of the 32 snake species in Indiana. If a venomous snake does bite you, you need to get to a hospital right away, he said.

Anyone who wants to learn more should check out what the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has on its website at https://bit.ly/3OVRjmR.

Contact Carol Kugler at ckugler@heraldt.com, 812-331-4359 or @ckugler on Twitter.