Currents Newsletter

Remember your ‘snake etiquette’

Now that it’s summer, people are spending more time outdoors enjoying nature of all kinds from lakes to parks to backyards. With the warmer weather and outdoor activity, keep in mind that snakes are active, too, and they can be found just about anywhere in Texas.

Texas has some bragging rights when it comes to the number and kinds of snakes living here. Texas has a whopping 115 species of snakes, more than any other state.

The good news is that the majority of the diverse snake species are non-venomous. The 15 percent that are venomous include coral snakes, copperheads, cottonmouths (also known as water moccasins) and rattlesnakes.

Distinguishing venomous snakes from non-venomous ones is key to educating yourself about which snakes to use extreme caution around.

"Identifying snakes empowers and educates you so that snakes lose some of their mystery,” says Beth Banks, a supervisor of natural science education programs for LCRA at its McKinney Roughs Nature Park west of Bastrop. She understands the desire to kill snakes, especially if small children or pets are nearby. But, she says, because of their integral role in nature, snakes should be spared. “Venomous snakes can be relocated by trained professionals, and non-venomous snakes are fun to observe in your own backyard.”

Snakes are an essential part of the ecosystem and vital to keeping their prey populations, such as rodents and rabbits, in check. Without snakes, their prey would wreak havoc on farmers’ crops, Banks says.

But that important ecological role doesn’t diminish the need to know how to be safe around snakes. Keep in mind these rules of “snake etiquette”:

When in parks, always stay on hiking trails to prevent snake encounters.
If you see a snake, do not approach it. Stop and stay calm.
Keep all children and pets away from the snake.
Do not harass the snake by poking it with a stick or throwing rocks at it. Most snakes will feel the vibration of your approach and make every effort to avoid you.

To find out more:

http://www.lifesci.utexas.edu/research/txherps/

http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/learning/junior_naturalists/moresnakes.phtml

LCRA snake safety tip sheet

http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/huntwild/wild/species/endang/animals/reptiles_amphibians/

For venomous snake relocation, call Bill Brooks (512) 581-0377. He does not recommend relocating non-venomous snakes, but he will relocate them rather than have them killed.

Venemous Snakes

Cotton mouth 'water moccasin'

Cottonmouth 'water moccasin'

Coral Snake

Copperhead

Diamond rattlesnake

Non-venemous Snakes

Bull snake

Hognose snake