Timber Rattlesnakes spotted in Clayton 

The Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ Wildlife Resources Division of the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests reports that timber rattlesnakes have been spotted in Clayton.  The snakes were spotted traveling across Sarah’s Creek Road at the Warwoman Wildlife Management Area.  Timber rattlesnakes prefer wooded, undisturbed areas, especially mixed pine-hardwood forests, such as the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests.  They eat warm-blooded prey almost exclusively, with small rodents like mice, rats, chipmunks, and squirrels making up the majority of their diet.  Birds, like bobwhite quail and other ground-associated songbirds are also eaten. Timber rattlesnakes provide a valuable disease-elimination service by eating white-footed mice, says the Georgia Department of Natural Resources.  An individual snake inadvertently consumes up to 1,000 ticks per year, thereby reducing tick-borne diseases.