CONSERVATION WORK
Most of my work in the field of conservation has been with timber rattlesnake and copperhead populations in the state of New York. I have also done some field work in neighboring states, studying these species in the wild, since 2000, and more in depth since 2017, when I began taking wildlife photography more seriously, and completed my first nonfiction work on the subject in 2017, later revised in 2019. I am now working on my second work of nonfiction on this subject, with no planned release date, but it is expected to be a commercially available book, geared for conservationists and students of herpetology. Every cent of this book will be donated to various organizations to help protect the future of these snakes. Below is a collection of some of my photography and camera work, mainly from 2024 & 2025.
A History Of Working With Snakes In The Wild
After returning from living on the west coast in early 2017, as I continued to write fiction, I took up my old passion of searching for pit vipers in New York, which I have been doing since around 2000. This led me to new avenues of research, as the internet expanded and information and resources became more easily accessible and available. I began finding old newspaper articles on snake dens, and have since amassed over 1,500 historic articles on the subject. I also started learning about mapping software, and soon I was contacting various sources, old timers, people in the field of herpetology, to track down populations of snakes, gathering photographs and data with the intentions of one day writing a book on the subject. Things quickly started happening, and I found myself with a long list of sites to search for snakes; 10 sites I had visited since about 2000 had suddenly become 110. Then I went on a quest to visit as many as I could.
In the northeast, timber rattlesnakes and copperheads, two of only three species of pit vipers found in our area, take to specific behaviors, different than their cousins in the south. The third species is the massasauga rattlesnake, only found in western New York. One notable behavior of timber rattlesnakes and copperheads is their tendency to den up in large numbers as they congregate in the fall, to burrow underground, often in ledges, outcrops, talus piles and other rocky places, with southerly exposure, to keep warm from the elements. In the spring, they emerge and greater concentrations of snakes can be found on the right days, a spectacular sight for those interested in wildlife. In some locations, multiple species will hibernate together. Finding the den locations is often difficult, as the timber rattlesnake is an endangered species, with less than 300 known populations left in New York State, 30 in Connecticut, 15 in Massachusetts and 3 in Vermont. With 1 remaining population in New Hampshire, it is absent from Maine and Rhode Island, but is found in New Jersey and Pennsylvania and becomes more common in the south, taking less to the ‘denning’ behavior it does in the north, and takes up home individually or with a few other snake species in debris piles, tin sheets and litter dumps, animal burrows, and under homes. The copperhead is only found in several localities in Massachusetts, no further north, and is becoming less common in Connecticut and New York, as land is developed and habitat is destroyed. Somewhat common in places like the Shawangunk Mountains, further north the copperhead becomes far less common, concentrated in isolated populations, and many have disappeared along the northern border of its range. The same as its cousin the timber rattlesnake, it becomes more common in the south. Seeing either species in New York is a uncommon, and more efforts are underway to protect these amazing animals.
The Native Americans basically left them alone, but as the settlers came from Europe, they began to seek out and destroy snakes, particularly venomous species, and in the north, many dens were wiped out. Through the late 1800s, snake sensationism became popular, hunting parties wiping out dens was a common blurb in historic newspapers, and by the end of the 1800s, there were snake clubs that rounded up the snakes for private collections. By the early 1900s, as zoos became more prominent and the science of herpetology was more refined, snakes were collected by zoologists and locals for the private trade. Through the 1960s, there were also bounties on the snakes, particularly in the Lake George region of Northern New York, along the northern border of the timber rattlesnake’s range, and in the state of Vermont. Most collecting wasn’t considered poaching until laws were passed in the 1970s, but den sites were collected to extinction and populations went through major decline. As the state of the world gets worse and animal species become extinct, the future of these species in the northeast is uncertain, and conservation efforts are constantly underway to protect them. Part of my mission is to make people aware of these facts.
Visting and searching for new sites, from 2017 to about 2020, I visited a large number of places; well over a hundred, and began putting my information in a 475 page book titled ‘Rattlesnake & Copperhead Dens In The Northeast’. This book was a private periodical, a sort of ‘mock’ guide for finding these snakes, and as it is worded in the rear synopsis, it is a ‘would be guide’, as it was never published or released. I started it before my knowledge of mapping software and other means of keeping track of my research were available, and so it was a personal collection of all of my site data. Only several copies were printed and given to experts in the field that I met during my work, and several more were printed when I updated and finalized the copy in 2019. The book was never available for sale and will not be, as it contains quite a bit of sensitive site location data. Part of my intention was also to put all of my resources into one place to be given to the DEC and any conservation organization that might use my data to further protect these snakes. It has been scrutinized by some of the people that know about it, due to the site location data, and in some sense I regret putting it together - as it was before I knew what I now know about the status of these species and the importance that the general public doesn’t have access to this information - so please, do not write me and ask for a copy of this book, or any location information on snakes.
With that said, as fiction becomes my main goal, I have continued my research on the side, in the hopes to write a conservation-based book and guide for students of herpetology and experts in the field, as well as for anyone looking to learn more about these snakes, chronicling some of my work; photos, scientific data and personal experiences, absent of any location information, or anything that might jeopardize the status of these rare creatures. The book is loosely put together and is titled ‘Guardians Of The Underworld: A Glimpse Into The Realm Of Pit Vipers In New York’. Basically – a coffee table picture book to inform interested readers, and an in-depth science field guide for experts, including history and conservation efforts, all in one bound format.
During this period, as I started getting more interested in wildlife photography and collecting data on pit vipers in the northeast, I found myself almost overwhelmed with information. It took me 6 months of constant organization and tedious data work to come up with a system of dealing with everything I use to continue my research. Over 1,000 marks on my google maps, many hundreds of folders with site information, photographs, data documents and site tally information, periodicals, science journal and newspaper articles, and an ongoing list of maps and other pertinent information for keeping track of places to visit and gather photos. I've learned that getting to sites is an artform in itself, as I've become quite skilled at arranging an average of 2 to 3 surveyes a day at peak season, refining my techniques to make sure everything goes smoothly in the field. Learning how to maintain the cameras was a process of discovery also. Not getting injured is a secret I keep with the woods, but also part of my work, learning balance and how to remain in harmony with nature. In 2024 I went on 220+ surveys (hikes) to 130 sites in 6 states, hiking 420+ miles, between April and November, and amassed 14,000 photographs. I located and photographed 41 timber rattlesnakes and 24 copperheads that year alone. If you see one of these species in your lifetime, in the northeast, even if you live within their localized range, consider it lucky. I visited multiple institutions to conduct my research, such as The American Museum Of Natural History, The New York Museum and The Bronx Zoo, and worked with over a dozen historic societies in several states, talking with countless people in various areas to help me track them down. I also obtained my Master’s Naturalist Certification, always looking to learn about natural resources and conservation. I could not have done this without dedicated research and organization and systems that work to keep my trips into the field most productive. This includes a great phone, camera, computer and knowledge of up-to-date GPS based mapping software. And a good vehicle, proper gear, and upbeat attitude.
In 2025 I expanded my efforts, placing 20 trail cameras at 30 revolving locations, at 25 sites throughout the Hudson Valley and as far north as central New York, to capture the behaviors of timber rattlesnakes and copperheads at their dens. This included visiting the sites to change batteries and swap memory cards, often with 5,000+ 10 second video clips, capturing footage every 5 or so minutes for periods of over 3 weeks. I captured over 394,000 clips, but only watched 1 second of 3/4 of them, 2 to 10 seconds of the rest. I would estimate I've watched 120 hours of footage. Recording many dozens of snakes, I was able to verify new locations, prove the existence of snakes, including a sites where snakes haven’t been seen in over 40 years, and I learned many other specific behaviors about these snakes that I could have only accompisshed with trail cameras – such as how copperheads move about at night, during rainstorms, and other interesting observations - like how the common house wren seems to be particularly threatened by them. I was also able to watch a congregation of baby copperheads over the course of several days at a den site, a very rare occurrence to capture on camera. All in all, it was a very successful endeavor and crucial to gathering data for my projects. From April to October of 2025, I went on 221 surveys to 66 sites, in 5 states, hiking a total of 340 miles - with 119 trips to install, change batteries / memory cards & retrieve cameras. I took 13,600 photos, and found and photographed 129 timber rattlesnakes, 70+ baby timber rattlesnakes, and 11 copperheads during my surveys, along with some black snakes and other various species. I was also able to take a trip to the Midwest, to seek out 3 historic snake dens from newspapers and periodicals, all 3 of which I successfully located, finding prairie rattlesnakes at a little-known den site in Colorado.
As I continue to gather data and collect the remaining required photographs for my book, my experience grows and I continually develop new methods of study. A number of timber rattlesnakes, this year in particular, have shown out of character behaviors around me, with curiosity and a lack of instinctual fear, allowing me to get very close without them being typically threatened. My book may not be released for some years, as I continue my work, and of course, my fiction comes first, but I look forward to putting together my experiences into something that I can share with interested people and add to the conservation and protection of these snakes. Below are some photographs, some of which will bel included in the book, along with select video clips from my trail camera project. Enjoy! – Dylan Christopher, 2025.
Photographs: Rattlesnakes & Copperheads At Their Den Sites
Below is a collection of some of my favorite field research and survey photos of pit vipers in the Northeast and abroad, mainly from 2024 & 2025.
A timber rattlesnake from Ulster County, NY. 2024.
A copperhead from Ulster County, NY. 2025.
Timber rattlesnakes from a rare crevice / cave den in New York. A large number of snakes congregate here and remain huddled together on a rocky shelf in a horizontal cave before they retreat further into the rocks for the winter, and emerge again in the spring. Although never common in the northeast, I know of several extirpated crevice dens, and there were likely quite a few more since many were wiped out in colonial times. There were also perhaps more throughout the extent of pit viper occupation in this range, over the course of many thousands of years. Also included is a photo of a rattlesnake at this site in January, on an abnormally warm day, and a rare ‘copperhead crevice den’, from another location, consisting of a long thin slit above a multiple-species hibernaculum where gravid copperheads congregate in larger than average numbers to keep cool, and warm, in the summer. Photos from 2018-2025. *CLICK ON PHOTOS TO ENLARGE
Photos of me in the field, 2025. Middle photo of me perched above a rattlesnake that crawled out of the small crevice den below to the edge of the rock, to sit next to me, not 3 feet away, then stretched out to pose, as I positioned myself on the rock above for the photo, exhibiting this rare behavior for any species of wild snakes. *CLICK ON PHOTOS TO ENLARGE
More up close and personal shots from 2025. Several females, with their newly born broods, allowed me to approach within several feet of them to get photos. The second, at a site about 1/4 mile away from the first, took such interest in me peering down at the rock from above her that she crawled up to take a look at me, then went back to her business guarding her young, aware of my presence, and not concerned about any danger I might pose. Also, a photograph of a mild-mannered rat snake that I saved from getting run over, in the spring of 2024. *CLICK ON PHOTOS TO ENLARGE
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More select favorite snake photos. 2012-2025. *CLICK ON PHOTOS TO ENLARGE
Pit Viper Habitat
In the northeast, snakes have certain requirements to survive the harsh weather conditions, particularly during the cold months of the year. Timber rattlesnakes and copperheads find survival easier when they gather together, in piles, below the surface of the earth, in areas where the sun can still penetrate the rock and keep them at a high enough temperature to remain alive. These rocky areas, with a southern exposure (SE-SW), often encompass ledges, outcrops and talus piles. They are also known to occur in abandoned mines, scree piles, stone walls and foundations. In New York, where the timber rattlesnake is endangered, it is illegal to harass them, with heavy fines imposed on those who do not know to leave them alone. If you come across any snakes, do not kill them, unless touched or stepped on, they will not bite. They do far more good than harm, for all of us. And please don’t go looking for these sites – many are monitored, some with cameras, are on private property and special preserves. If you are a student of herpetology, or becoming a naturalist, a great place to see snakes is in state parks within their range – but stay on trails, keep a safe distance and report any snake activity to the DEC in your state, or the Heritage Program @ https://legacy.nynhp.org/report-rare - the snakes need your help. Below are some photographs of various snake habitats. 2024-2025.
Most pit viper dens in the northeast are now found far from civilization, due to habitat loss, collecting, and human presence. This is a photo of a rare timber rattlesnake den area just above a highway and near a river in central New York. 2025. *CLICK ON PHOTOS TO ENLARGE
Common pit viper hibernaculum habitat, with crevices and rock piles to burrow in. 2024-2025. *CLICK ON PHOTOS TO ENLARGE
More pit viper denning habitat. The photo to bottom right captures some of the human behavior I run into on these trips into the field. While I do my best to get permission when I visit sites on private property, or permits on select public lands,, sometimes I end up in places where signs point me in strange new directions. 2024-2025 *CLICK ON PHOTOS TO ENLARGE
Vroman’s Nose, in Middleburgh, NY. I see many beautiful views when I’m out in the field, in contrast to all of the ugly things I see living amongst people. Places I find on maps surprise me, and every once in a while, I return to a place that has no snakes. The above location, looking out over the northern section of the Catskills, is one of those amazing places. It has some unique habitat; not the average rock formations for the timber rattlesnakes that once lived along this complex ledge system. The talus below the ledges is atypical; comprised of small bits of shale and plate-like loose rocks, with few crevices along the top ledges for snakes to hide in, where this photo was taken. And yet it was once called ‘Ou-con-ge-na,’ by the Native Americans living in the area, which signified, 'Rattlesnake Mountain', or 'Mountain of Snakes'. It was said to literally be covered with rattlesnakes in former times, killed off by settlers that moved in during the 1700s that likely eliminated the entire population by the early 1800s. Now it's a little known tourist attractions, mainly for locals, that probably know little of the history I'm sharing here. 2025. *CLICK ON PHOTOS TO ENLARGE
More On Habitat, Crevice Dens, Ledge Mysteries & Conservation Work
With snakes hibernating together for the winter, this makes them more vulnerable; easier to find in the spring and fall when they emerge from their dens, if one knows where to look. Because of this, snakes, especially venomous species, were easily picked off by colonists that lacked the proper medical treatments and were exaggeratedly afraid of them. Back then, most farmers and rural folk knew little difference between a timber rattlesnake and a garter snake. I see regular posts on facebook today that prove most people still don’t know the differences. Many snake dens were destroyed, burned, and collected out, as people became aware they could sell them in the private trade. Poaching has been an issue for snakes at den sites, most notably by an individual who hunted rattlesnake dens in the northeast, from the 1960-1990s, and was rumored to have removed over five thousand timber rattlesnakes in the northeast, keeping them in a man-made den comprised of sawdust, old logs and a chicken wire fence, at his residence in Pennsylvania, while selling them to collectors all over the world, through a website where he also sold maps to snake dens. Coincidentally, he was also the person that told me the location of the first site where I saw a timber rattlesnake. He was doing this after the snakes were protected, and was eventually arrested, by help from his own protege, none-the-less, who had by then become the foremost field reserach expert on timber rattlesnkaes. Thankfully, poaching has declined in recent years, because of rigorous efforts by the DEC and other conservation groups, although with so much information on the internet, people are still taking to the woods to find and take snakes. The other issue is that the presence of people, even if tolerated by the snakes, will always adversely affect their habitat. If you had a hundred people with muddy shoes, come through your living room, you’d find things changing. You’d find yourself cleaning quite a bit. And who knows what else because of it. Snake dennig areas really aren’t so different. This is why it’s important that these sites remain protected from the habitat destruction of development and from being visited by people that have no business being there. If you are a naturalist or student of herpetology, or part of a project working with wildlife, that’s obviously a different situation. Permits can be obtained through the DEC and privet land conservancies. Some of the modern attitudes on snakes by sensitive conservationists and experts are to not even write or talk about the subject, but with so much being posted on the internet, this becomes difficult to control. I have some more progressive ideas. As people and snakes come into contact with one another more, new ways of thinking and acting will have to be implemented to protect both. But history tells the story, again and again. Snakes are irrationaly feared and eliminated in many places in this world. A good example is the crevice den. Out of the many different hibernating situations of snakes in the northeast are crevice and cave dens – long shelf-like cracks in rock walls and ledges where the snakes congregate in the winter and fall. These dens were never common in the northeast, and are often found more so out west. One in particular is described in an old newspaper article, about several sites in Colorado, one of which I visted in Spring of 2025. This cave den was said to be an actual cave, with so many rattlesnakes found covering the floor of the cave during hinbernation season, that it resembled an oriental carpet when one walked inside. With large, heavily bodied snakes like timber rattlesnakes, and such an easy situation for them to be rounded up, this is why the settlers eradicated these sites first. Below I have posted some photos of crevice dens and other interesting theories I have about these rocky ledges in the woods.
​The first photo is of Dr. Raymond L. Ditmars, a herpetologist, zoologist and head curator of reptiles at the Bronx Zoo (Then called the The New York Zoological Society) in the late 1800s, when it first opened, through the early 1900s. He was the biggest name zoologist in the public eye and one of the more outspoken herpetologists of his time, giving public lectures, and often appearing in newspapers to answer questions about snakes from readers, but also particularly about his adventures collecting snakes, in full page newspaper spreads and books that he wrote on reptile hunting expeditons, many of them at sites in the northeast. This photo shows him laying down at a site called the Crystal Lake Den, which is a rocky shelf on the edge of a pristine lake in the southern tier of New York. At ground level, and ten feet from the water, timber rattlesnakes made their home in the cave-like crevice with slabs of fractured stone, that Ditmars is seen laying on, likely around 1915, the same rock as seen in the second photo, which I took when visiting the site in 2019. The area was on the property of a boy scout camp, which remains, and soon the young boy scouts were involved, being paid a bounty to collect them for the zoo. This got out of hand and within 15 or so years, all of the snakes were gone. A sad tale, it seems the solution is to reintroduce the snakes to this amazing and unique site – but most of the parents of our nation’s next bright leaders, in their little do-good uniforms, don’t feel the same way. Still, the possibility remains for justice for these creatures that called this little cave their home for many thousands of years. *CLICK ON PHOTOS TO ENLARGE
In the above five photos, first; the last remaining cave-style crevice den of its kind in New York, discussed at the top of this page. The second photo is of an extirpated cave den that I discovered from a historic article. I located the site and couldn’t believe the likeness to the other cave dens. It is still littered with old wooden furniture and rusted machinery parts from the depression era when the snakes were eradicated and the rocky ledges were inhabited by poor migrants that worked on neighboring farms. The third photo is of a ledge in the northern tier of the Shawangunk mountains, in a now populated area at the edge of a town and right by the main road, practically in someone's back yard. After exploring the site, and finding out through research that copperheads and timber rattlesnakes were often found in the town 150 years ago, it seems quite possible that this was another crevice den. Photo #4 is of an extirpated 'true cave den’, in Columbia County, NY, with an entrance to the larger chamber along the ground, below the ledge system. Now a mere ledge inthe woods that gets occasional visits from a local spelunking club, most of the history of this site survives in an account from a work of fiction by Susan Warner titled ‘Queechy’, written in 1852, based on historical information about how timber rattlesnakes were eradicated from there in the 1830s. An interesting part of the tale is that on one occasion, a number of snakes were extirminated by a hunting party, and a small feisty dog that killed a number of them, only to succumb to the venom from multiple bites, by the end of the day. It seems likely that in its heyday, the snakes could be found sitting along the rocky areas inside the cave. The final photo is one I took of a cave-style crevice found along a small ledge, just above the highway. There are five timber rattlesnake dens along this two-mile-long ridge, just above a river in central New York. Two of the small rattlesnake populations are found 100 yards from both sides of the ledge, in much smaller ledge areas. So why haven’t the snakes chosen this ledge, with a deeper cavity for hibernation? Likely because the area is shadier, with more trees, but as it has been proven that the snakes move to new areas, this might have been a den, one hundred, two hundred, a thousand or more years ago. A hundred years ago it was said that there were more snakes found in various den habitat along this steep ridge, perhaps living in this crevice also. There are still many other former cave dens out there, and sadly, little history as to where / which ones were inhabited by snakes. *CLICK ON PHOTOS TO ENLARGE
These two photos, the first, from the Marlboro Mountains of Ulster County, NY, add another twist to the crevice den. Along the bottom of the crevice at the Marlboro Mountain ledge are thin stacks of slab stones, shards taken and placed there by an unknown party. Timber rattlesnakes were once found in the mountains, according to old articles and a verified report I have of one seen on some nearby powerlines in the 1980s. Copperheads are seen around homes along the mountain edges, and I have confirmed the presence of both species of black snakes, on surveys conducted over the years across the entire mountain range, which I have explored in depth. I surveyed the majority of rocky outcrops, 35 in total, spanning about 4 miles in length, by a width of under a mile, in 3 days. I have returned over the years to check new areas and revisit rocky outcrops, mainly looking for copperheads. The most interesting area I've found is along a small ledge system, well hidden, deep in the woods. On my first trip to the area, I walked right along the valley at the back of it without knowing it was there. Several years later, in the fall, when the leaves were gone from the trees, I walked by the front of it from the bottom, and immediately thought it looked like the crevice dens that I knew of. It wasn’t until the next year when I was able to get back and check out the ledge better. I was amazed to find that it possessed all of the unique features of the horizontal crevice-cave dens that I have found, but what was more interesting was that it appeared as if somebody had tried to block off the crevice with stacks of flat stone shards. Upon further inspection, the rocks were placed the way somebody would arrange a stone wall, and so this seems to indicate that it wasn’t natural but carried out by the hands of men. But by who? And why? My theory, which ties into the second photo, is that this was done many years ago, by settlers, perhaps a hundred, two hundred years ago. It seems possible that it was an attempt to stop the snakes from emerging from the crevice, by a family of farmers or people living close by, afraid of the snakes, that perhaps used a fire to try and get rid of them and resorted to this as a last-ditch effort. The opening is thinner than some of the other more cave-like crevice dens and this might be an indicating that they had a harder time getting rid of them. The cracks in the rocks could have also been filled in with mud to help trap the snakes, and eroded over the years, and if this is the case, their attempt probably didn’t work very well. The rattlesnakes certainly remained for some time. It’s a mystery that might never be solved. The second photo, while not a larger cave-style crevice den, a flat rock only about 12 feet in length, is from another site in Ulster County, NY. There are several snake dens along this hill and there are many rocky areas that could be used as suitable dens, although the snakes have chosen only several. With changes in vegetation over centuries and millennia, it’s possible that the snakes have moved around this hill quite a bit. It’s possible this happened over the previous century. What is clear, is that by human hands, small stones were placed inside this small rock crevice, which I have outlined in red, and along with circle shapes that might have been carved in the flat arched stone above, resembling two eyes, seems eerily designed to resemble the face of a monster. Is this the work of early settlers? Could it be from hikers or kids getting high and building sculptures in the woods during the 1960s? Or is it possible this was a Native American ceremonial stone sculpture used to warn members of the tribe of the snakes? While these theories are just theories, there certainly must be truth to them, and they are really just some of the many things I’ve discovered while studying these wonderful snakes, and things that will be further discussed in my book. *CLICK ON PHOTOS TO ENLARGE
Blue Mountains, Australia Trip 2024
After applying to a handful of artist’s residencies overseas in 2024, I was pleasantly surprised to find that I was accepted to many of my first choices; Greece, Belgium, Serbia, South Africa, The Canary Islands & Australia. I only had time to go to one, and so it was Australia. I was invited to the BigCi Artist’s Residency in Bilpin, Australia, 75 miles northwest of Sydney, with the goal of illustrating my environmentally themed novel Igador Roots, over the course of a month during my stay. I arrived to find a beautiful location and premises to work in a clean environment with nice people, especially the couple that run the residency. Driving on the left side of the road was easier than I thought it would be and I spent quite a bit of time hiking and exploring the outback, which was one of the most amazing places I’ve been to on this planet. Of course, I spent a good deal of time looking for snakes and other wildlife. I saw 2 deadly tiger snakes, 3 venomous black snakes (1 of which was run over on the road minutes before I found it still moving. I was able to examine it up close and personal with some of the enthralled residents), 1 carpet python, various species of lizards, and of course, the different species of marsupials that live in the bush. This got in the way of my work to a certain extent, although I was able to get the job completed, and the Opening Day Exhibit went well; a gathering of local artists and people from the community that showed up to admire the fine art of the residents. Below are some photos of the snakes and my trip. 2025.
Photos from the Blue Mountain Range in NSW, Australia. 2024. *CLICK ON PHOTOS TO ENLARGE
Midwest Snake Hibernaculum Trip 2025
After my visit to Australia last year to an artist's residency, I decided I needed another work related excursion. In late May of 2025, I took a two-week cross-country trip through the midwest in my Jeep to visit 3 snake den locations that I found while doing research over the years. I have found many snake dens in different parts of the country while doing research, mainly from old newspaper articles, but these three, in Kansas, Oklahoma, and Colorado, had solid descriptions and after some map work and discussions with some historic societies in these areas, I was able to pinpoint the likely locations. I succesfully rediscovered all three sites and found that a large number of prairie rattlesnakes still inhabit the third site, in Colorado. Photos below. 2025.
A copperhead den, written about in the 1940s by a well-known herpetologist, found along a rocky bluff in rural Kansas, was my first targeted site. I found the area on maps years ago, and within an hour of searching the site I was able to pinpoint the location, see the closeness of the photos and even match up the cracks on the main gestation rock used by the snakes. A homeowner living in the property that now resides above the den said they still see copperheads, although I think the population is probably quite different than it was as the area is now heavily gown in. The second photo is from an article written in the late 1800s about a prairie rattlesnake den in Oklahoma, discovered by General Custer's troops during the Civil War. The site is now on Fort Sill property, in an off-limits area, so I wasn’t able to reach the actual crevice, but I located it by the very close description and was able to see it and match up the site from across the river. 2025. *CLICK ON PHOTOS TO ENLARGE
A prarie rattlesnake found at a historic site in Colorado, once known to harbor the largest population in the state. 2025.
View from one of the arches along the rocky bluffs at the site in Colorado. It's also possible the carcass to the right is the remnants of a cougar kill. 2025.
More pictures of views, prairie rattlesnakes and a bull snake at the site in Colorado (and me). *CLICK ON PHOTOS TO ENLARGE
Pit Viper Trail Camera Project Photographs 2025
In 2025 I decided to purchase 20 trail cameras and place them mainly at copperhead sites that I know of, and have discovered myself, and also at some known rattlesnake dens. My main goal with this project was to learn about the habits of these secretive creatures, particularly the copperhead, as they can be very difficult to find and study in the wild. The cameras were placed to give me insight on a variety of their behaviors, such as the temperatures they remain active at, night activity, and more exact date ranges for when they exit, return to, and congregate to give birth at their hibernaculums. As far as I know, this is first 'snake den trail camera project' of this magnitude conducted in the northeast, and perhaps a glimpse of what’s to come for the snakes in the field of conservation. With trail cameras getting more affordable state and private conservation groups will likely being using this technology to monitor wildlife in efforts to protect and prevent more animals on our planet from going extinct. These sites are kept secret by the few people, if any, that know of them. Some of these cameras I used for locating crevices at sites where I have found snakes and know they hibernate, and also to verify the presence of copperheads and other snakes where they are suspected to be found but have not been seen. They were placed at 25 locations over the course of three periods; spring, summer and fall. Some of them were taken down and relocated within the site, and others collected and used at other sites. It was a successful endeavor and I captured many snakes on camera, as well as discovering and confirming suspected den crevices, verifying the presence of species at sites I had little data on, and learning new things about the behaviors of pit vipers. All of my camera data, along with the rest of my work, will eventually be donated to the NYSDEC.
A camera with a special stand I made, fixed on a combination timber rattlesnake / copperhead den crevice, beneath a large slab rock, with a small eye I painted on the rock above where the snakes enter and exit the den. Over 100 rattlesnakes and likely at least half that many copperheads, along with both species of black snakes hibernate under the rock, likely in a deep cavity that might span four feet in diameter and be four or five feet at its lowest depth. 2025.
A camera positioned over a man-made talus pile along the retaining wall of a dam at a small rural pond on private property. A late contact of mine was called to the home, by the homeowner and the head of an excavation company, in the late 1970s, to verify the presence of over 40 copperheads that crawled up to the surface when the wall was dug up and redone. Across the street is a massive ledge system and a good amount of talus, likely home to a hundred or more snakes. I was able to verify the presence of copperheads still using these rocks as a home. 2025.
Photos of the cameras taken at some of the sites over the course of the year. 2025. *CLICK ON PHOTOS TO ENLARGE
Pit Viper Trail Camera Project Video Clips 2025
Below are some collected videos of various species of snakes throughout the spring, summer and fall, at 25 locations in southern New York, during my trail camera den project. 2025.
These first 2 videos were captured at 2 different locations, about twenty feet apart, on a hill that has multiple den sites, in Ulster County, NY. The first video is the main den on top of the hill, with a population of over 100 timber rattlesnakes, at least half that many copperheads and both species of black snakes. Unlike most rattlesnake dens in the northeast, snakes can be found here all year round. The second video, slightly downhill, is an area where gravid copperheads congregate in August and give birth.
This long compilation of clips came from a site that I rediscovered, in Dutchess County, NY. I stumbled upon it before I knew much about the mountain, later finding out it was a known haunt of a local snake collector and early poacher, written about in literature by herpetologists whom he collected snakes for and sold to, that ran zoos and shipped them across seas. He cleaned the den out of rattlesnakes, probably by the 1960s, unaware of the damage he was doing to many of the snake populations in this area. The copperheads remained, and likely thrived due to the dissapearence of the rattlesnakes, and I found them in the late spring of 2019, nearly stepping on a pile of six or so of them. I knew the edge of the long flat rock I found them curled up by was probably the entry to their den, or a gestation area. I placed a camera here this year, in late spring, and kept it through the fall, capturing the highest concentration of copperheads during this project, likely 60+ snakes. I was close to deciding that this is likely the hibernaculum entrance, although a complete absence of clips with snakes, from mid September to late Ocotober suggests that the overwintering chamber is somewhere else, probably below the base of the high ledge at the bottom of the escarpment. With such a high concentration of copperheads using this flat rock to hide under during the spring and summer, I was suprised to find this was the case. A gestation and birthing area for certain, the babies are born here, as shown to left side, near an entrance hole in the second clip – a rare occurrence to capture on video, or even to witness in the wild. I'm estimating that the population of copperheads at this site is close to 100 adults, and some of the copperhead reports I have, about two miles away, could easily be snakes that are coming from this location. The third compilation of clips showcases evidence of the common house wren being especially cautious of the copperhead, three of them being at this site and one at a neighboring site - the only birds I've seen in clips where I've recorded copperheads on camera.
The above compilation of clips comes from a once historically known den site, now rarely visited, in Western Dutchess County, NY, once frequented by the same local snake hunter who collected the snakes for zoos after the turn of the century. Several well-known herpetologists visited this site on various occasions, and it was the subject of various historical tales, including being the site where the bones of a young girl that went missing in the 1920s were found by one of the herpetologists while he was hunting for snakes. The timber rattlesnake, copperhead, black rat snake and black racer all call this unique site home – with a round door-shaped shard of rock recessed into the sheer rock wall, that the snakes use as an entrance to their overwintering chamber, I call it 'The Hobbit Hole Den Crevice', due to it's appearance. The second set of clips is from October of 2025, as the snakes are returning to the den for the winter. I painted a temporary viper eye on the rock for the project, to give the clips an added special effect.
Another site in Dutchess County, NY, once known and written about by the same well-known herpetologists mentioned above, nearly a century ago. Strictly a copperhead and black racer den, the site was lost to time, although copperheads had been seen in the area for many years. I located the den after a contact was called in to remove a copperhead from behind a business below the hill where the den resides. I have been visiting this site since 2003 and it was nice putting the camera up to see where the main entrance was - it took me 2 tries, but they turned up where I have seen them before and I got plenty of footage of both species, showcased in this compilation.
The Shawangunks are well known for being home to snakes and other wildlife, and they are especially known for copperheads. One of the northernmost strongholds of the copperhead populations in New York, it wouldn’t be correct to say they are 'plentiful' in these rocky ledges and talus slides, but they remain closer to how they once lived in times long before humans crossed the seas and called this place ‘America’. This site, I discovered in 2002; my first copperhead den discovery without the help of any resources, other than my eyes, knowledge base and knack for locating snakes. It is a copperhead, black rat snake and black racer site, and possess a unique feature that I didn’t discover until after several years of visiting the den – a long, thin crevice that runs along the capstone on top of the cliff, where I’ve seen as many as 11 copperheads gathered together under, keeping cool from the sun, from May to late September. For several years I sat with my heels, mere inches from their faces and never knew they were there – a testament to the fact that they will not bite you unless you touch them. I soon found out that this was a gathering area for pregnant females, and that the overwintering entrance was elsewhere. In early April of 2018, I saw a black racer emerging from a crevice along the ground, to the side and at the base of the outcrop, and had a good idea that this was the place to set up my camera. My first run in the spring, the camera was aimed about 6 inches too high (This entire project had a learning curve), although in the fall, I spent some time getting the angle and distance correct, and got what I was hoping for – confirmation that this is in fact the entrance to the den. This compilation contains a clip of each of the three species I caught on camera.
An old-time snake hunter from eastern Dutchess County, NY, that I met in 2018, shared quite a bit of wisdom about his days hunting for snakes. At one point he worked doing rattlesnake studies with a herpetologist from the Bronx Zoo, at a den that bears his name, behind his family farm and high up the hill, that was frequented from times before by the same collector and herpetologists from some of the other Dutchess County sites. Later in life he worked for a parks division in the area, and in the late 1970s, he was called to a residence by a home owner and an excavator that were digging up a retaining wall of a dam at the back of an old pond with talus stones. As they pulled up the ground, many dozens of copperheads started crawling to the surface. He saw many snakes throughout his life, he told me, and he had never seen so many copperheads as he had on that day in that very small area. In some time I located the site and got permission to check the area from the home owner, who barely remembered that day and said she hadn’t seen copperheads by her pond in about that long. Across the street is a massive ledge system and enough talus to house at least 100 copperheads, and with 40 seen at the pond, probably many more, but I was always determined to know if the snakes were still using the stones behind the dam as a home. I found a nice angle to place the camera, but it fell, and I got about 3 weeks of a bush and the sky. My second go at it was met with success, and I got several clips of copperheads crawling across the rocks. My first guess was this is a summer foraging location for the snakes to eat frogs and such, but I’m also inclined to believe it may be an overspill population from across the street. I may find out one day in the future with more camera work. Above is one of the clips of a copperhead at this site.
This video clips shows 2 copperheads at a den site I discovered in Ulster County, NY in 2018. One snake is seen crawling across the rocks, and another is emerging from beneath the edge of the disk-shaped rock to the top-right-center. Copperheads, black rat snakes, black racers and garter snakes call this rocky ledge system above piles of talus stone, home.
Above is a clip of a black racer living in a place you wouldn’t expect to see copperhead snakes, which reside there also, in a stone pile hidden in the tall grass of a field at a small park in Ulster County, NY. I knew the den was close to these small boulders, but I now have fairly definitive proof that the entrance is on the other side of the rock to the left. Both species of black snakes and copperheads use this as a hibernaculum. There is a second den, not much more than 30 feet away, in a smaller but similar stone pile. With more stone piles scattered throughout the field and woods, likely from quarrying done in the 1950s, there may be more dens also - and with other naturally occuring known snake dens in the area, it's likely the snakes moved in from one of those locations, as they are known to do when they find suitable habitat.
The above 2 compilations of clips were taken at a strictly timber rattlesnake den along a rocky ridge in central New York, that is near a highway and river, very close to civilization. The lower rock slide, and the upper den crevice in the ledge above, which is an interesting verticle crevice den, are found not much more than a hundred yards from the highway.
Den critter out takes! A black bear, baby bobcat, deer, racoon, vulture, rabbit and skunk – and last but not least, people - some of the many other inhabitants and passerbys that I caught on camera during this project.
If you've made it this far - This was a video I took of me petting a wild 36-inch copperhead (which is a fairly large sized snake for this species) in 2019, on the edge of a 50-foot cliff, along a rare gestation crevice in Ulster County, NY. The only two dangerous species of snakes in our area, the chances of ever being bit by the timber rattlesnake or copperhead are next to a nil, as long as you don't touch them or step on them, the latter of which is very rare, and the former out of ignorance or stupidity. The trick to my succes in not being bit, is that I previously caught this snake, likely a gravid female, although at that point in time I thought it was a male. I 'borrowed her on loan' several months prior and slowly gained her 'trust', learning to work with her to the point that I could keep her calm enough to pet her. It didn't take as long as I thought, maybe five or so attempts before I realized that it was unlikely she would bite, but the possibility is always there - snakes all have different dispositions and they can also bite out of confusion, rather than as a defensive reflex. People make mistakes also, right? In this video clip, I was in the process of releasing her back at her gestation area to give birth, and this is the only venomous snake that I have ever done this with and I would never recommend it to anyone, for any reason. The reason I attribute never being bitten in the field, is by sticking to the rule of never touching a wild venomous snake. Some people tail them, or pin them, or use hooks to help. Rarely have I done so. But again, they pose little threat to humans, as you see. So, please don't ever kill a snake! - Dylan Christopher, 2025. *VOLUME BUTTON AT LOWER RIGHT OF VIDEO CLIP
