Regulations and a lack of understanding the habitat needs of timber rattlesnakes (Crotalus horridus) on a landscape-scale have limited conservation efforts. With better information land managers and planners could implement strategies that protect suitable habitats from development and other human activities. While studies have shown microhabitat characteristics play a role in habitat selection by timber rattlesnakes, it remains unclear if large-scale features, other than rock outcrops, talus

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... opes and canopy, also impact site selection. I compared the habitat use by two metapopulations of timber rattlesnakes in northern New Jersey with available habitats using GIS data layers to identify the snakes' macrohabitat preferences. The results showed snakes used habitats with slightly more open canopy, closer to rock outcrops, and farther from roads, human development, forest edge (an interface between any habitat and forests with >50% canopy closure) and streams and rivers (>10m wide) than randomly sampled locations. Additionally, I developed a model and distribution map of potential areas where hibernacula may exist in northern New Jersey by first testing habitat and topographic variables to determine the predictors of suitable habitat for hibernacula. In 2004, elevation, sun index, deciduous wetlands and slopes (0-20%) were the most influential features in predicting suitable habitat for hibernacula. Slopes (0-20%) and deciduous wetlands were negatively associated with hibernacula indicating that areas containing shallow slopes and/or deciduous wetlands were less likely to support hibernacula. Sun index indicated that hibernacula are most likely to be found in areas with steep slopes and southerly aspects, and elevation, having the least influence in predicting suitable habitat for hibernacula, showed the likelihood of hibernacula presence increased with increasing elevation. In 2009, with the addition of interior forest hibernacula in the dataset, only slope (0-20%) and sun index were influential fe [...]