Venomous snakes of Georgia

O

f the 41 species of snakes known from Georgia, only six (6) species are venomous: Copperhead (Agkistrodon contortrix), Cottonmouth (Agkistrodon

piscivorus), Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake

(Crotalus adamanteus), Timber / Canebrake Rattlesnake

(Crotalus horridus), Pigmy Rattlesnake (Sistrurus miliarius), and

Eastern Coral Snake (Micrurus fulvius). No single venomous

snake species is found over the entire state, and only a portion

of the Georgia Coastal Plain is inhabited by all six venomous

species. Although differentiating among all 41 species can

be difficult, becoming familiar with the colors and patterns

of Georgia's six venomous snake species will enable you to

determine whether any snake encountered is venomous or

non-venomous.

The information contained in this brochure is intended to aid in the identification of the venomous snake species found in Georgia through the recognition of physical traits, pattern, and color. Caution should be used when approaching any snake, and snakes found in the wild should only be handled by experienced persons after proper identification. Only the Timber Rattlesnake, Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake, and Cottonmouth realistically represent even an outside threat to human life. Although the possibility of incurring a venomous snake bite should be taken seriously, risk of snakebite is undeniably remote when compared to other environmental hazards such as lightning, and it is obvious that snakes do not pose a legitimate threat to humans in our society. According to the National Lightning Safety Institute, 756 deaths due to lightning were recorded within the United States from 1990-2003, or an average of 61 deaths annually. According to the American Association of Poison Control Centers, from 1983-2004 an average of 1,283 venomous snake bites were reported annually within the United States; only 18 (0.0006%) of all bites reported, during this same period, were fatal (an average of less than one fatality annually within the entire United States).

Despite the relatively low level of danger posed by venomous snakes, many people consider their fear, no matter how irrational, sufficient justification for killing any snake. Venomous and non-venomous snakes alike serve invaluable roles in the natural environment as both predator and prey. In Georgia it is illegal (misdemeanor, punishable by up to a $1,000 fine and 1 year imprisonment) to possess or kill many of the State's nongame wildlife species, including Georgia's non-venomous snakes (O.C.G.A. 27-1-28).

NoNgame CoNservatioN seCtioN

Quick Reference Guide
to Georgia's Non-venomous Snakes Rough Green Snake

Mud Snake

Rainbow Snake

Eastern Indigo Snake

Black Racer

Coachwhip

Black Rat Snake

Yellow Rat Snake

Gray Rat Snake

Eastern Worm Snake

Eastern Kingsnake

Black Kingsnake

Corn Snake

Mole Kingsnake

Eastern Hognose Snake Southern Hognose Snake Pine Woods Snake

Eastern Milk Snake

Scarlet Kingsnake

Scarlet Snake

Northern Pine Snake

Florida PIne Snake

Striped Crayfish Snake

Glossy Crayfish Snake

Plain-Bellied Watersnake

Banded Watersnake

Northern Watersnake

Brown Watersnake

Eastern Green Watersnake

Queen Snake

Black Swamp Snake

Brown Snake

Red-Bellied Snake

Ringneck Snake

Southeastern Crowned Florida Crowned Snake Snake

Smooth Earth Snake

Rough Earth Snake

Eastern Ribbon Snake

Federally Protected

State-protected

Species Of Conservation Concern

Common Garter Snake

The recognition of a snake's color and pattern (presence or absence of encircling rings, bands, blotches, or longitudinal stripes) is perhaps the best method for identifying any of Georgia's snake species, although the appearance of some species can vary significantly among individuals and among different geographic areas. The photographs above show a fairly characteristic example of each snake species, but do not account for variations in appearance. Furthermore, the young of several species, such as the black rat snake and black racer are more boldly patterned than their adult counter-parts.

Copperhead, Highland Moccasin
Agkistrodon contortrix

Cottonmouth, Water Moccasin
Agkistrodon piscivorus

DESCRIPTION: Medium-sized snakes reaching a maximum length of about 4.5 ft, but most are less than 3 ft. The background coloration is usually light brown or gray, but individuals range from rusty orange to pinkish to nearly black. This species is easily identifiable by a pattern of 10 21 dark-brown, hourglass or saddle-shaped crossbands, which are wider at the sides of the body and become narrower along the back.

Adult, Long Co., GA

Adult, Floyd Co., GA

HABITAT: Occur in most forested habitats but are particularly common on rocky wooded hillsides in the mountains and swamp and river edges in the Piedmont and Coastal Plain. Habitats with abundant logs, leaf litter, and rocks for cover are favored by this species while open habitats such as old-fields and agricultural areas are generally avoided.

Juvenile, McIntosh Co., GA

NON-VENOMOUS SPECIES OFTEN CONFUSED: Black, Gray, Yellow Rat Snakes; Corn Snake; Northern, Brown, and Banded Watersnakes; Eastern Hognose Snake

STATUS: Uncommon to common. Copperheads are apparently more tolerant of urban development than many snake species, and populations often persist in suburban neighborhoods as long as some patches of forest remain.

DESCRIPTION:

Relatively large, heavy-bodied

snakes reaching a maximum

length of nearly 6 ft, but

most are less than 3 ft,

3in. Although these snakes are characterized by wide,

Adult, Liberty Co., GA

dark bands along the body on a lighter brown or olive-colored background, individual

coloration varies within and among populations. As these snakes mature, many

become very dark, and the bands become totally obscured.

Adult, Liberty Co., GA

HABITAT: Semi-aquatic, prefering swamp-like habitats and can be very abundant in these areas. Sometimes found along rivers or in more open areas such as around large lakes. Cottonmonths may move overland long distances and can sometimes be found great distances from any water source. They generally hibernate in dry, upland areas, often in stump holes.

Juvenile, Liberty Co., GA

NON-VENOMOUS SPECIES OFTEN CONFUSED: Several species of the large watersnakes (genus Nerodia; Plain-belly, Northern, Brown, Banded, and Green) are often mistakenly referred to as Cottonmouths because of their similarity in appearance. However, the dark stripe on the side of the jaw, heat-sensing pit on the face, and the behavior of gaping and vibrating the tail are distinctive to Cottonmouths.

STATUS: Abundant.

Predicted Species Range Documented County Ocurrence
Outside of Species Distribution

Predicted Species Range Documented County Ocurrence Outside of Species Distribution

Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake
Crotalus adamanteus

Timber/ Canebrake Rattlesnake
Crotalus horridus

DESCRIPTION: Georgia's heaviest-

bodied and one of Georgia's longest snakes,

reaching or possibly exceeding 7 ft, but more

typically measuring 3 - 5 ft in total length.

The tail has 3 10 brown and white bands

Adult, Thomas Co., GA

and possesses a "rattle" (one or more loose

rings of hard keratin) that makes a loud whirring noise when shaken. The upper

surface of the body is patterned by a long row of 24 35 dark brown diamond-

like blotches, fringed by thin yellow to cream borders. These blotches are

broader than long and are linked together at their tips.

HABITAT: This occupies upland

habitats with an open canopy, especially

native longleaf pine forests on sandhills,

clayhills, and flatwoods. Found in numbers

TTaaleil and Rattle

on barrier islands, especially within interdune meadows containing dense bunch

grasses alternating with shrub thickets and in the dense edges of saltmarsh.

They are also found in mixed pine-hardwood forests that develop on abandoned

agricultural sites, in and around open woodlots, brushy pasture borders, and

abandoned homesites in suburban and rural areas. However, these snakes

almost never enter houses.

STATUS: Rare, Georgia Species of Concern. Human impacts have caused the species to decline throughout its range. Habitat loss, fragmentation, and degradation are the most serious threats to the species because its upland habitats are in high demand for agriculture, silviculture, and residential development. Unfortunately, Eastern Diamondbacks are killed by most people whenever they are encountered. The widespread practice of gassing burrows of
the Gopher Tortoise to kill rattlesnakes or to evict them for use in "rattlesnake roundups," often harms this
species, and is a detriment to a large assemblage of up to 300 other species of animals that use tortoise burrows.

DESCRIPTION: Large, heavy-bodied

snake reaching a maximum length of nearly

6 ft in the Coastal Plain and about 5 ft in the

mountains, but most range from 3 to 5 ft in

length. The background color ranges through various shades of pink, yellow, tan, gray,

Adult, Lumpkin Co., GA

brown, and olive to velvety black. A series of brown to black chevron-shaped

cross-bands (15-34) typically cross the body. The tail is black and tipped by

a segmented rattle. Very dark or solid black individuals are common in higher

mountains of the northeastern part of the state but are rare elsewhere.

Adult, Liberty Co., GA Tail and Rattle

HABITAT: Common in much of the heavily wooded country of the Coastal Plain, but in more open areas, it is primarily limited to wooded stream corridors. The range is spotty on the barrier islands and along the immediate coast. In the Piedmont, the distribution is highly fragmented due to habitat loss and is primarily associated with heavily wooded stream corridors and isolated small mountains. In the Georgia mountains, the distribution is somewhat localized around suitable denning sites (including root and stump holes, mammal burrows, old home sites and debris piles, and, especially in upland regions, rock crevices).

STATUS: Common(locally abundant). Common in much of the Coastal Plain but the range is highly fragmented in the Piedmont and under increasing pressure from residential development. Timber Rattlesnakes are hunted to some extent
in the mountains, where in many areas they appear to have declined in recent years.

Predicted Species Range Documented County Ocurrence Outside of Species Distribution

Predicted Species Range Documented County Ocurrence Outside of Species Distribution

Pigmy Rattlesnake
Sistrurus miliarius

Eastern Coral Snake
Micrurus fulvius

DESCRIPTION: Smallest of the rattlesnakes, with the maximum total length reported of 31 in, but pigmy rattlesnakes usually reach a size of 16-23 in. The ground color is usually gray or tan, but occasional individuals can be reddish or almost black in some populations. The pattern consists of a series of light-edged dark blotches or spots (22-45) on the back as well as from one to three rows of dark spots on the sides. There may be a reddish stripe down the center of the back. The tail is tipped by a segmented rattle, however the interlocking segments of the rattle are poorly notched relative to other rattlesnakes, and occasionally some individuals lack a rattle.

Adult, Lincoln Co., GA Adult, Long Co., GA

HABITAT: This species can be found in

a variety of habitats at elevations of 0-1640

ft (0-500 m) and ranging from dry sandhills

TTaaleil and Rattle

and longleaf pine forests to wet hammocks

and seasonally flooded pine flatwoods. In southern Georgia, they specifically

thrive in saw palmetto thickets.

NON-VENOMOUS SPECIES OFTEN CONFUSED: Eastern and Southern Hognose Snakes

STATUS: Uncommon. In some areas of Georgia, this rattlesnake can be found in very high population densities, but in other places they can be fairly uncommon. However, this species is small and cryptic, and chances are that
many individuals are overlooked.

DESCRIPTION: Fairly slender, snake

reaching a maximum length of 47 inches, but

most range from 20-30 inches in length. The

body is patterned with broad black and red rings,

equal in width, which are separated by narrow

yellow rings. The red rings are dotted with numerous black flecks that may coalesce on the

Adult, Long Co., GA

back into a pair of spots. The rounded snout is black and is followed by a broad

yellow band across the head and neck. The tail has three or four broad black

rings and two-four narrow yellow rings.

DISTRIBUTION AND HABITAT: Coastal Plain populations are typically associated with sandy upland habitats such as longleaf pine sandhills and pine-saw palmetto flatwoods. Live oak and other hardwood hammocks on well-drained soils may also support populations. Eastern Coral Snakes are absent from extensive wetlands and from vast tracts of pine flatwoods underlain by low, poorly-drained soils. Individuals lead highly subterranean lives and shelter in virtually any type of underground refuge, including Gopher Tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus) burrows and stump holes.

NON-VENOMOUS SPECIES OFTEN CONFUSED: The Scarlet Kingsnake (Lampropeltis triangulum elapsoides) also has a color pattern of contrasting red, black, and yellow or white rings but has a red snout, and the light-colored rings are separated from the red ones by black. The Scarlet Snake (Cemophora coccinea) has a red, pointed snout, red back blotches that are outlined by black, and a white, unmarked belly. A helpful rhyme to distinguish them goes: "Red touch yellow, deadly fellow; red touch black, venom lack."

STATUS: Rare, Georgia Species of Concern. This species is generally distributed and seemingly fairly common in the lower and middle Coastal Plain of southeastern
Georgia. Its status in the Piedmont, upper Coastal Plain, and in the southwestern portion of the state,
is poorly known.

Predicted Species Range Documented County Ocurrence Outside of Species Distribution

Predicted Species Range Documented County Ocurrence
Outside of Species Distribution

Distribution of Venomous Snakes in Georgia

Copperhead Cottonmouth E. Diamondback Rattlesnake Timber Rattlesnake Pigmy Rattlesnake Eastern Coral Snake

ABCD E FGH I JK L




A

2 34 5 1

B

6

8

14

7

C

15

D E

16 9 12

13 D

10

E

11

F

G

G

K

L J
K

H

HI

Major impoundments on the periphery and outside of the known range of the Cottonmouth in Georgia

Carter's Lake 1 Lake Burton Blue Ridge Lake 2 Weiss Lake Nottely Lake 3 Allatoona Lake Chatuge Lake 4 Lake Lanier

5 Jackson Lake 9 Lake Sinclair 13 6 Lake Juliette 10 Lake Hartwell 14 7 Lake Tobesofkee 11 Lake Russell 15 8 Lake Oconee 12 Clarks Hill Lake 16

CAUTION: Species ranges as depicted reflect current knowledge

!

of venomous snake distribution (2010); range margins are estimations and persons using this brochure should be cautious when approaching any snake, which has not been identified.

For additional information, please contact:
NONGAME CONSERVATION SECTION
116 Rum Creek Drive; Forsyth GA 31029
478-994-1438
www.georgiawildlife.com
Production and printing of this brochure made possible by:

Georgia Poison Center

IN CASE OF VENOMOUS SNAKEBITE

1. STAY CALM. Get the patient 6. DO NOT GIVE THE

to the nearest hospital right

PATIENT FOOD, DRINK,

away! Call 911 or Georgia

OR MEDICATION (e.g.,

Poison Center 1-800-222-1222 pain medications, alcohol, etc.).

immediately.

7. DO NOT USE A

2. TRY TO IDENTIFY THE

TOURNIQUET.

SNAKE BY SIGHT ONLY. 8. DO NOT CUT THE

Look for color, markings, and

WOUND.

head shape.

3. DO NOT TRY TO KILL THE SNAKE; it could bite

9. DO NOT TRY TO SUCK OUT THE VENOM.

again.

10. DO NOT PACK THE

4. KEEP THE PATIENT

WOUND IN ICE.

CALM AND IMMOBILE 11. Bites from nonvenomous

(preferably lying down).

snakes should be washed with

5. KEEP THE AFFECTED LIMB AT AN EVEN LEVEL

warm soapy water; a tetanus shot may be needed.

with the rest of the body.

Courtesy of Georgia Poison Center www.georgiapoisoncenter.org

Species distribution, range maps, and species information are attributed to the Georgia Herp Atlas Project, Georgia Department of Natural Resources.
Content: K. H.Andrews, M. E. Dorcas, M. Elliott,T. M. Floyd, J.W. Gibbons, X. Glaudas,W. H. Martin, D. B. Means, R.A. Moulis, P. Spivey, D. J. Stevenson, J. D.Willson
Photos: R. Bartlett, G. Beaton, R. Birkhead, S. Collins (CNAH),A. Day,T. M. Floyd, S. Graham, G. Greer, R. Gunwald, P. Hill, G. Hilliard, J. B. Jensen, B. Johnston, T. Luhring,
G. Miller, P. Spivey, D. J. Stevenson, D. Steen

Locations