No one wants to come across a snake while they’re outside in the garden or walking in the woods. Even though chances of a bite (much less a venomous bite) are relatively low, most of us give any snake a wide berth. If you can resist the urge to run inside when you encounter one, however, get a safe distance away and look – several characteristics can tell you if it’s likely to pose a danger.
- Head shape. Venomous snakes will often have triangular or arrow-shaped heads because of the position of their venom glands, while non-venomous varieties will be spoon-shaped or rounded.
- Tail. If a snake has a rattle on the end of its tail, it’s venomous. Venomous snakes will also often have a single row of scales on the underside of the tail instead of a double row (like non-venomous species). This is a helpful difference to know if you’re looking at a shed skin in your lawn.
- Eyes. If you care to look closely at it, a non-venomous snake’s pupils will be round; most venomous snakes will have a vertical, catlike pupil. Venomous snakes will also have a pit, or hole, between their eyes that serves as a heat sensor to help them locate prey in the dark.
It’s a good idea to use a field guide or regionally specific website to get familiar with the types of snakes commonly found in your area. But if remembering that information or recalling the common characteristics of venomous snakes slips your mind the next time you come across a questionable variety, just remember this: There are numerous types of non-venomous snakes in the United States, but only four different types of venomous snakes:
- Cottonmouths. This snake is often found in or around water. Black or green, they have a white stripe along the side of their heads. Young cottonmouths have a bright yellow tail.
- Copperheads. Similar in look to cottonmouths, copperheads are brighter in color (coppery brown to bright orange). Like cottonmouths, young copperheads have yellow tails.
- Rattlesnakes. These are easy to identify – look for the rattle on the tail. Rattlesnakes also have a heavy triangular head and elliptical eyes.
- Coral snakes. Coral snakes are colored very distinctively, with black, yellow and red bands along their length and a yellow head with a black band over the nose. Coral snakes are very shy.
You can discourage snakes from visiting your backyard by keeping your lawn mowed and brush-free and removing piles of wood or rock. To ensure that you don’t encounter one around your home, though, use a liquid or granular repellent, like Liquid Fence® Snake Repellent. The ingredients in this repellent work to impair a snake’s chemosensory systems, making it unable to process information about its environment. Liquid Fence® Snake Repellent can be used as a perimeter around your property or campsite, or you can apply to areas where snakes are a problem.
