Distribution—Known throughout most of the state except the extreme eastern part, it may be expected in many more counties from which records of its occurrence have not yet been received. It is definitely known in these counties: Andrews, Aransas, Archer, Armstrong, Atascosa, Bandera, Bastrop, Baylor, Bee, Bell, Bexar, Blanco, Borden, Bosque, Brazoria, Brazos, Brewster, Briscoe, Brooks, Brown, Burnet, Caldwell, Calhoun, Cameron, Clay, Coke, Comal, Comanche, Concho, Coryell, Cottle, Crockett, Crosby, Culberson, Dallam, Dallas, Dawson, Deaf Smith, DeWitt, Dickens, Dimmit, Donley, Duval, Eastland, Ector, Edwards, El Paso, Erath, Fisher, Foard, Frio, Galveston, Garza, Gillespie, Goliad, Gonzales, Guadalupe, Hardeman, Harris, Hartley, Hays, Hidalgo, Howard, Hudspeth, Hutchinson, Irion, Jack, Jackson, Jeff Davis, Jim Hogg, Jim Wells, Karnes, Kendall, Kenedy, Kent, Kerr, Kimble, King, Kinney, Kleberg, Knox, Lampasas, La Salle, Lavaca, Limestone, Live Oak, Llano, Lubbock, Lynn, Martin, Mason, Matagorda, Maverick, McCulloch, McLennan, McMullen, Medina, Midland, Milam, Mills, Mitchell, Moore, Motley, Nolan, Nueces, Oldham, Palo Pinto, Pecos, Porter, Presidio, Randall, Real, Reeves, Refugio, San Patricio, Scurry, Shackelford, Somervell, Starr, Sterling, Stevens, Tarrant, Taylor, Terrell, Throckmorton, Tom Green, Travis, Uvalde, Val Verde, Victoria, Ward, Webb, Wells, Wilbarger, Willacy, Williamson, Wilson, Winkler, Wise, Wichita, Young, Zapata, and Zavala. This is the most dangerous and, at the same time, the most common poisonous snake in the state. Therefore, it is one which all Texas outdoorsmen should be able to recognize on sight. A summary of snake bite cases in the United States over a 10-year period shows that more people died from bites of this species than from bites of any other North American snake. There are several reasons why this snake is responsible for so many bites and such a high number of deaths. Chief among these is its large size. It ranks as one of the two largest poisonous snakes in the country, being second only to the eight-foot eastern diamondback rattlesnake of the southeastern states. In direct proportion to its size, it has long fangs and poison glands which hold a great amount of venom. These factors insure a long strike and deep fang penetration. In addition, it has an unusually furious disposition and, if threatened with danger or sufficiently annoyed, will vigorously defend itself instead of seeking immediate escape. Although strictly a land snake, the diamondback may sometimes be found crossing streams or ponds and, occasionally, individuals will venture out into lakes and bays. TIMBER RATTLESNAKE _Crotalus horridus horridus_ [Illustration: TIMBER RATTLESNAKE]