Last month, we debunked some of the most common snake myths that not only get harmless snakes killed, but also keep people afraid of snakes. These included head shape, pupil shape and how they swim, all of which are not reliable methods of identification. We also clarified that juvenile venomous snakes can control their venom from birth and are therefore not more dangerous than adults.
It’s important to remember that snakes aren’t evil, they’re not out to get us, and they do their best to stay away from us as much as possible. Many people don’t realize that snakes actually spend much of their lives protecting us and our food from pests that destroy crops and spread diseases. Armed with this knowledge, we are able to minimize our fears and focus on learning a couple of helpful tips that ARE reliable and can be used from a safe distance to help you quickly and safely identify snakes you may encounter in your yard, garden, or while hiking in nature.
Labial lines
The first would be dark vertical lines, called labial lines, along the side of the mouth/chin of a snake. From king snakes, to garter snakes, to water snakes, many species have this very distinct marking that will quickly help you identify them as nonvenomous.
We’ve provided a picture collage with two different water snakes and a speckled king snake that have them. They’re visible from a safe distance, and if you see them on a snake in the U.S., you can know that it is nonvenomous. Not every nonvenomous species will have them, but if it does, that tells you it’s nonvenomous.
A snake can strike about half of their body length, so anything well outside of that distance is what we consider a safe distance. Like we’ve explained before, snakes never want to bite people, but wild animals may try to protect themselves when facing a giant predator, so keeping your distance is always the best option. If you stay well away from any snake in the U.S., it has no possible way to even try to harm you.
Eye placement
Eye placement can also be a great identifier for most of our snakes. That’s if you’re able to see the top of their head in a picture, or as it’s fleeing, or perhaps you’re above it on a dock or a boardwalk.
The five pit vipers in Louisiana are the eastern copperheads, timber rattlesnakes, pygmy rattlesnakes, cottonmouth water moccasins and eastern diamondback rattlesnakes. They all have a supraocular/ “eyebrow” scale that covers their eyes from the top of their heads. So, if their eyes ARE fully visible from the top view of the head, then you’re more than likely dealing with a nonvenomous species, as the eyes would not be visible for a pit viper.
The side-by-side image in this article shows a comparison between a nonvenomous plain-bellied water snake and a venomous cottonmouth water moccasin. Coral snakes don’t have this scale, but also don’t look anything like any of our other venomous species. This method of identification can also be seen from a safe distance or in a picture.
More help with identification
One thing we proudly use for identification tips at our shows, at schools, libraries, events, etc., is our poster featuring Louisiana’s 7 Venomous Snakes. My wife Rachel and I worked extremely hard on this poster, and our son, Kyler, took most of the photos. This poster not only covers each of our venomous species in detail with great photos, but it also covers many of the myths we discussed in last month’s article, along with a few nonvenomous pictures for visual comparison. It’s a resource that we hope to get into as many libraries, classrooms and homes as possible. You can pick yours up at one of our shows or on our website www.louisianasnakeid.com
Even when utilizing these tips, sometimes it’s still hard to be sure, so we always emphasize that if you see a snake in the wild, it’s best to just leave it alone. Never touch a snake without knowing what it is.
We work with venomous and nonvenomous wild snakes all of the time, but if we aren’t 100 percent absolutely sure what the snake is, we won’t touch it. If you see a snake and want to be absolutely certain what kind it is, ask us. We know a snake’s life may depend on that ID, so we try to answer as quickly as possible.
To get our contact information, visit our website www.louisianasnakeid.com and send us the picture(s) or video via private message, text, email or through any of our social media platforms. We are always glad to give that ID for peace of mind and even help relocate the snake when necessary.