Safely Spotting Slithery Serpents
A majority of the snakes we encounter are the non-venomous types, aka ones that aren’t dangerous to humans. Where Copper lives in South Carolina, the dangerous snakes include copperheads (Agkistrodon contortrix), cottonmouths, which are also sometimes referred to as water moccasins (Agkistrodon piscivorus), three species of rattlesnakes, and the coral snake.
Knowing how to recognize venomous snakes is helpful, but it’s good to respect all snakes and admire them from a distance, just like any wild animal.
When you look, you ssssee.
I took each of the snake photos that you see on this screen, and I love to see snakes out in the wild! Of the three you see on this page, only the one just above this section, the cottonmouth, is a venomous snake.
As you learn more about snakes, I think you’ll enjoy seeing them just as much as I do. Snakes are generally much more afraid of us than we are of them. When we know how to spot the venomous ones and we understand that all snakes are just creatures going about life, then we can enjoy the experience a lot more.
Get the scoop on slithery snakes
A lot of folks are kind of afraid of snakes, but that mostly comes from not knowing enough about them! When you have a good idea of which ones are dangerous and which ones aren’t, you’ll be a little more comfortable when you get the treat to see them out in the wild. You’ll always want to keep your distance like you would with any wild critter, though.
Kids, remember to ask a parent, teacher, or librarian for help whenever you are looking for books or using the Internet. I always try to make sure to share kid-friendly books and resources, but websites are changing all the time, so always check with an adult first.
- The Savannah River Ecology Laboratory at the University of Georgia has a great site with tons of information and photos of both non-venomous and venomous snakes in South Carolina and Georgia. There is also a link there to some good advice on how to be safe around snakes in general: https://srelherp.uga.edu/snakes/
- This poster from the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources has some great info on the venomous snakes around Copper’s neck of the woods: https://www.dnr.sc.gov/education/pdf/VenomousSnakesSC.pdf
- One of my favorite nature programs to watch is Coastal Kingdom, hosted by Tony Mills. This episode of his show has tons of info about identifying venomous snakes as well as some of the others that you might encounter out in the woods: https://www.coastalkingdom.com/episodes/copperheads%2C-cottonmouths%2C-and-coral-snakes