In contrast to what you see on TV and in Marty Stouffer specials Rattlesnake Dens are not a cave where hundreds of rattlesnakes congregate into something the size of your living room.  They are spread out over a small area and consist not of one large open space, but small cracks and fissures that the snakes crawl into and hibernate.  In the northeast they are often on tall, remote mountaintops.  This particular den is heathlands interspersed with the large rocks.  Various huckleberry species dominate, while Mountain Laurel and Oak are also common.  Giant Rock Tripe lichen grows on many of the rocks and Rufous-sided Towhees, Chipping Sparrows, and Black-throated Green Warblers are the most abundant birdlife.  Turkey Vultures, Common Ravens, Whitetail Deer, and Black Bear are also a major constituent of the area's wildlife.