Natural History of Timber Rattlesnakes in the Adirondacks (and the Northeast) with William S. Brown

Wednesday, June 21, 2017, from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. at the NRWA River Resource Center at 592 Main Street (Rt. 119) in Groton, MA

William S. Brown has been studying the Timber Rattlesnake population in the Adirondacks for nearly 40 years. His study of the life history and ecology of these snakes is the longest running continuous capture-recapture study of any rattlesnake conducted in the wild. Learn about the life history of the Timber Rattlesnake, its behaviors and habitat. Professor Brown will share information on these snakes that has come to light thru his study.  For example, these snakes are long-lived (over 40 years), and females generally don’t reproduce until age 9 or 10.  He’ll discuss winter rattlesnake denning, essential to their survival.  Did you know that winter dens in New York represent ancestral populations which have been in continuous existence for approximately 8,000 years? Brown will also cover how to live with these shy and retiring snakes, and efforts to preserve native Timber Rattlesnake populations.

Brown is an Associate Professor Emeritus of Biology at Skidmore College and lecturer in the Dept of Biological Sciences at the University at Albany (SUNY). His work has been published in National Geographic and peer-reviewed scientific journals. Currently, he is an editor and author for a national group of research biologists producing a "Conservation Action Plan" for the Timber Rattlesnake, and serves on the Timber Rattlesnake Recovery Team of the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation. Professor Brown was a recipient of The Nature Conservancy's (Eastern New York Chapter) annual Oak Leaf Award in 2003 citing his "many years of study and efforts toward preservation of Timber Rattlesnakes."  He is a zoologist and herpetologist with Bachelor's and Master's degrees from Arizona State University and a Ph.D. degree in Biology from the University of Utah.

This program is free and open to the public, made possible by a grant from the Groton Trust Funds’ Lecture Fund.  Pre-registration is required; seating is limited.  To pre-register, please contact Wynne Treanor-Kvenvold, NRWA Communications Manager, at (978) 448-0299, or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..