![]() ![]() Of course, if a snake DOESN'T have a rattle, it can still be venomous other species of pit vipers and cobras are quite venomous and lack a rattle (many rattlesnakes are now being born without a rattle. Many young snakes, incapable of adequately defending themselves, will employ this tactic to startle predators, and make a hasty getaway. The sound of their scales vibrating against one another can make a buzzing sound very reminiscent of a rattlesnake. In fact, just about all snakes (venomous and non-venomous) will shake their tail when disturbed, as a warning again predators. But the action of shaking the tail is not unique to these snakes. Only rattlesnakes carry the iconic structure and all rattlesnakes are venomous pit vipers. If it shakes its tail, it is venomous: Not quite true, but can be rephrased "If it has a rattle on its tail, it is venomous". Again, the coral snake would be the local(ish) exception to the rule its round eyes lead many observers to believe it is a non-venomous animal (fortunately, the coral snake is the only venomous species in the US that is NOT a pit viper). ![]() Other venomous species like elapids (the cobra family) have round pupils like non-venomous snakes do. Venomous snakes have slit pupils: First off, PLEASE don't try to identify snakes using this rule! If you are close enough to make out a snake's pupils, you are waaay too close, especially because this rule does not always apply! Just like the triangular head, slit pupils generally only seen in pit vipers, such as rattlesnakes and copperheads. Head shape is simply not enough to determine venomous from non-venomous. And some non-venomous species, like pythons, simply have heads that may appear somewhat triangular depending on the person observing them. Unfortunately for these snakes, flattening their head gives them the appearance of a venomous species, as seen in the photo below. In the animal kingdom, size is often perceived as power, so many animals, including snakes, will attempt to make themselves look as large as possible. Many non-venomous snakes, when threatened, will flatten their head. People have been hospitalized after picking up coral snakes because they assumed they were non-venomous due to the rounded head.Įven in Virginia, where our venomous snakes do have triangular heads, there are situations in which this rule may not apply. In addition to pit vipers, several states are home to the coral snake, a species more related to cobras, that has a rounded head (more on the coral snake later). However, once you enter North Carolina, this rule no longer works. Here in Virginia, all our venomous snakes are pit vipers, and they all display the triangle shaped head (the venom glands give them this triangular look). It's not necessarily wrong (I can actually rely on this in the field) but there is something many people don't realize: THIS RULE ONLY APPLIES IN CERTAIN REGIONS. ![]() I grew up being told that you could recognize venomous species because their head is triangle shaped, and I still hear parents telling their children this when they visit our facility. Venomous snakes have triangle heads: I believed this to be true for so long. So for the safety of both snakes and my fellow steemians, I want to talk a little bit today about why you can't always trust the common "advice". This leads to people being injured by snakes they didn't realize were harmful, or individuals killing harmless snakes they believed to be deadly. And for good reason, venomous species can be very dangerous, and knowing how to recognize these species is important! But unfortunately, many of these methods are vague at best, and some are just downright wrong. It doesn't matter if you absolutely love snakes or are highly afraid of them, at one point or another, you have heard some method of identifying a venomous snake. ![]()
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