So, unless you are in Ireland, you stand a reasonable chance of encountering a snake reasonably close to where you live.  If you live in South Carolina, as I do, you could run into any of the four types of venomous snakes in North America.  Can I interest you in a little snake knowledge?

Poisonous snakes are of two major groups, the pit vipers, which include Rattlesnakes, Water Moccasins and Copperheads in North America, along with Asps and Adders in Europe and elsewhere; and Cobras, Kraits, and their cousin the beautiful Coral Snake of the American South. Of course, in some places you need to worry more about being constricted, as pythons and boas do, but, unless you are a small animal, this is not a problem in North America, where the largest native constrictors are generally less than six feet long.

Chances are very good that the snake you see will not be poisonous, and even if it is, chances are, you will not be bitten. It is said that far more people die from lightning than from snake bites.  However, this is no reason to run any risks. If you cannot positively identify a snake (and I am not going to try to teach you to here) the best advice is to stay several feet away from it.   If you are going into  place where poisonous snakes are likely to be, use common sense- wear protective boots and watch where you put your hands and feet .

It has been said that  when you are looking at the business end, snakes and guns all look much bigger than they really are. Maybe it is because they have scales that so many people tend to use the "fisherman's ruler" when they describe snakes later on. If you have the opportunity to report a snake sighting, try to get some relative idea of its size based on a nearby easily measured object, like a walking stick, or the sidewalk, or a row of bathroom tiles. Try to take note of the color and pattern, if any, of the snake's skin- is it banded, crisscrossed, or solid?  What color is the head? Can you see its belly or stomach? Is it a different color?

Stop and think a minute. Even a really big snake is likely to be much smaller than an average size human- like one twentieth to one tenth of their weight at most.  For that reason alone, you have little to fear from snakes. Given the opportunity, most snakes will leave an area where humans are as quickly as they can manage.  But, before your recently spotted snake takes off,  try to get a good look at its head.  Is it diamond  or heart shaped?  Can you distinguish a  sunken spot near  its eyes? Not getting that close? Is its body fat or slender?

Sometimes, habitat is a good indicator of a snake's species, though even snakes can wander into the wrong neighborhood. Dry places, like pine woods, are home to many snakes, but suburban lawns and flowerbeds also frequently contain snakes, as do lakes and ponds.  Each area is likely to house a different species. By the way, there are over a hundred species of snakes in North America, nearly 3,000 worldwide.

You may want to know that snakes are not slimy. Those that swim are, of course, likely to be wet, but a snake in a tree or on the ground, is likely to have a slightly rough, dry feel to its skin. and yes, many snakes, particularly blacksnakes, can climb trees.  At the risk of scaring you unnecessarily, do remember that a non-venomous snake bite will hurt, too, just like a non-venomous cat or dog's bite will.

Something else to know is that snakes eat rats and mice, and,  given the choice, most of us would probably prefer the occasional snake sighting over any of the many troubles associated with rodents.  In other words, SNAKES ARE OUR FRIENDS.

I hope that you have found this little guide to be helpful. If so, I would appreciate your voting "yes" below. I have written several other guides on a wide variety of subjects. You may want to see Wentworth Tradd's Mostly Useless Guide to Fame, which is about a very different kind of reptilian behavior. For more information on snakes, contact your local state department of Natural Resources, or see some of the excellent webpages devoted to snakes.

Thanks and remember,

Let's Be Careful Out There

Wentworth Tradd