Rural residents of the Union-Oak Grove community in northeast Kingfi sher County have learned that they have unwanted neighbors nobody knew about.

Reports quickly circulated in the area on Saturday that Frank Crosswhite had spotted a rattlesnake in the middle of E680 Road next to the old Oak Grove Church, and that it had five rattles.

Local farmer Ira Mitchell, 91, said he had never seen a rattlesnake in the area...ever. The appearance of this one has caused some degree of distress to those living in the area.

A little research on Oklahoma snakes shows that of the 46 species of snakes native to the state “only” seven are venomous. In addition to the cottonmouth water moccasin and the copperhead, the five species of rattlesnake that occur in Oklahoma, are the timber, western diamond-backed, prairie, western massasauga and western pygmy.

Based on the banding, the variety spotted at Oak Grove appears to be a timber rattler, which lives in wooded areas, rocky outcrops, and swampy marshlands.

Finding one residing in a wood pile is not uncommon, as they tend to stay where food is plenty. In this case, they await mice and rats which also live in such piles. The timber rattler is sometimes known as a “velvet tail” because of the black coloration of the tail, which has a soft, velvety appearance. Their patterns are yellow or brown coloring with dark brown or black V-shaped bands across the back. Because of this coloring, they blend in well with leaves on the ground.

Though it may strike if necessary, the timber rattlesnake is more docile than other members of its family and is more likely to stay coiled or stretched out, motionless when encountered in the wild.

Adults range in length from 2.5 to 5 feet.

Timber rattlesnake bites are rare, and as with other pit vipers, will not actively seek out humans to attack.

They are generally docile and will give plenty of warning to any perceived threat before striking.

However, it is venomous with venom potent enough to kill a human, so a timber rattlesnake bite is a medical emergency.

If bitten, you’ll begin to see symptoms immediately, but your symptoms will worsen over time.

Ideally, you should reach medical help within 30 minutes of being bitten.

A bite to a hand could easily result in the loss of a finger.

If the bite is left untreated, bodily functions will break down over a period of 2 or 3 days and the bite may result in severe organ damage or death.