An Odessa vet's office reports it's had about a dozen dogs bitten by rattlesnakes in just one day. The only venomous species on this list is the timber rattlesnake. Here's what every Texas homeowner should know about rattlesnakes. Aside from that, all snakes are fair game. Snakes also eat eggs. Species list. Because they prefer woodlands, as their name implies, as well as wet areas, timber rattlesnakes live in the eastern third of the state. It’s a subspecies of the Eastern indigo snake, which is protected in many parts of its range. Yet, rattlesnakes are a real problem in one city in Texas. Venom type B is similar to most other U.S. rattlesnakes in being hemotoxic, effectively destroying tissue around the site of the bite. Be careful because it won’t always rattle before attacking. Texas has some ten rattlesnake species and subspecies, more than any other state except Arizona. It’s then snake breeding season in Texas. Perhaps the most common snake named for this type of action is the sidewinder. Snakes are especially important in the control of mice and rats. Though these snakes can gather in large dens over the winter, you’ll probably never encounter one. Snakes help the balance of nature by eating prey that reproduces frequently, everything from earthworms to rabbits. In the state of Texas, killing snakes is legal, unless the snake is on the list of protected species. Some species of rattlesnake are named for the region in which they can be found, such as the Mexican west coast rattlesnake, Catalina Island rattlesnake and the South American rattlesnake. Some snakes are rare in Texas (or endangered nationwide), and these species are subject to special laws meaning it’s illegal to kill, capture, own or sell one. But, if you can avoid snake hiding places, you will likely avoid being bitten. Venomous snakes have poison to inject in their prey. And rattlesnakes live in mountains, prairies, deserts, and beaches - basically everywhere across the country. Texas Parks and Wildlife describes the timber rattlesnake as having "20 to 29 dark, V-shaped crossbars with jagged edges" forming a distinctive pattern across the back. Only three species interact significantly with human beings, however-the western diamondback ( Crotalus atrox ), the prairie ( C. viridus viridus ), and the eastern timber or canebrake ( C. horridus atricaudatus ). Texan rattlesnakes, and all other species of snakes, start to emerge as soon as it gets warm outdoors. This is a helpful adaptation for snakes. This is a list of all sure genera, species and subspecies of the subfamily Crotalinae, otherwise referred to as crotalines, pit vipers, or pitvipers, and including rattlesnakes (Crotalus and Sistrurus.This list follows the taxonomy as of 2007 provided by ITIS, which was based on the continuing work of Dr. Roy McDiarmid..