I'm No Snake Expert

but we figured out this one was a rattlesnake...something to do with all the racket it was making with its tail.

From the National Park Service Web Site:
"The first question that most park visitors have when they see a snake is “Is it poisonous?” The answer is almost always “no,” since only 2 of the 23 species of snakes that live in the park are venomous: the Northern Copperhead and Timber Rattlesnake. The likelihood of an average visitor even seeing a venomous snake in the Great Smokies, let alone being bitten by one, is extremely small. There is no record of a human fatality due to snakebite in the park’s history."

Timber Rattlesnake - Great Smoky Mountains National Park



Timber Rattlesnake - Great Smoky Mountains National Park



"Headshot" Timber Rattlesnake - Great Smoky Mountains National Park



The "Rattle" Timber Rattlesnake - Great Smoky Mountains National Park




And Off It Goes, Timber Rattlesnake - Great Smoky Mountains National Park