7 places in SC you’re most likely to cross paths with venomous rattlesnakes

“Under the leaves, off the trail, something is always waiting,” the publication focused on geography said.

Waiting are eastern diamondbacks, timber rattlesnakes, and pygmy rattlesnakes, some of the most deadliest snakes. Not the most deadly, which would be the dreaded copperhead, South Carolina’s most abundant snake.

World Atlas called South Carolina’s coastal marshes, pine barrens, and mountain rivers prime habitat for rattlers, which have been around for centuries.

The U.S. Forest Service, which manages the Francis Marion National Forest, one of the prime habitats for the Eastern diamondback, says the snake is the largest rattlesnake in the world — reaching up to 6 feet in length. They bite an average of 10 people a year. Rats and rabbits, their primary food, are not so lucky.

Diamondbacks are excellent swimmers, sometimes spotted miles from land and live 10 to 20 years.

They’re considered a species of concern in South Carolina due to loss of habitat, prompting the Forest Service to do a multi-year study by installing tracking devices on some of the larger creatures.

World Atlas says Francis Marion National Forest’s pine flatwoods, swamps, and palmetto thickets are perfect for the Eastern Diamondback and Timber Rattlesnake.

“Both snakes prefer the dry, sandy soils and dense forest undergrowth,” the publication said.

They are hard to see on the forest floor due to their color and markings. Here are six other places in the state where rattlesnakes most love to live and feed, according to World Atlas.

Lake Moultrie

Timber rattlesnakes like this area north of Charleston because of the cypress-lined shores, blackwater ponds, and tangled vegetation, World Atlas said.

They are often seen hunting near dense vegetation or dry ridges just above the shoreline.

Lake Jocassee

World Atlas called this Upstate lake “snake rich.”

Timber rattlesnakes like the rocky outcrops and forested slopes above the waterline. So does an occasional cottonmouth, World Atlas said.

“Snakes are often seen basking on sun-warmed rocks or low tree limbs near the water, especially in quiet coves and shallow inlets,” the publication said.

Despite the lake’s crystal-clear and cold water, its overgrown pockets and secluded shoreline provide perfect reptile cover. Whether by kayak or hiking trail, this place delivers nature in full — complete with a slithery twist.

Ellicott Rock Wilderness

This is rugged terrain where Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina meet and timber rattlesnakes love to live.

“Deep leaf litter and shaded slopes provide excellent cover, while the Chattooga River and its tributaries attract abundant prey,” World Atlas said.

Lake Marion

“Stretching across 110,600 acres and five counties, Lake Marion is South Carolina’s largest lake — and one of its most snake-infested,” World Atlas said.

Rattlesnakes are not alone — cottonmouths and copperheads are there, too.

This is the area where Wikipedia recorded the last snake bite death in South Carolina. Wayne Grooms, 71, was in the Santee National Wildlife Refuge on June 12, 2016 when he died within 15 minutes after a rattlesnake bit his lower left leg. Six others have been bitten and died since the 1920s but all were close their to Lowcountry homes, Wikipedia said.

Sand Hills State Forest

The pygmy rattlesnake lives in the pine barrens of Sand Hills State Forest in Chesterfield County. Their small size — no more than 2 feet — and coloring make them hard to see and their faint rattle hard to hear.

“With terrain built for camouflage, few places in the state hide snakes better than Sand Hills,” World Atlas said,.

Savannah River

Copperheads, cottonmouths, and timber rattlesnakes like the Savannah River’s wetlands, hardwood forests, and lowland swamps.

“These venomous species thrive in the river’s leaf-littered trails and thick underbrush, especially near quiet coves and fishing spots,” the publication said.

And you probably already know there’s likely another creature lurking nearby — alligators.

The World Atlas article ends with as ominous a statement as it began.

“Remember: the wild doesn’t always give warning.”