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How to identify a snake

PetSnakes — Thu, 13 May 2010 05:42:16 +0000

Learning to identify the snakes you are likely to come into contact with is both educational and important in the case of venomous species. Some species of snake, such as the rattlesnake subspecies, are easily identifiable even by those who have never seen one before. Unfortunately the vast majority of snakes are not so easy to recognize and this leads to confusion often resulting in the snake being killed out of fear that it might be venomous.

I’m going to show you how to identify snakes in your local area based on 6 factors:

Known species in the area
Coloration
Patterns
Size
Body shape
Head shape

Before we get into those subjects I need to address a myth about identifying venomous snakes. That is, venomous snakes have elliptical eyes.

This isn’t so much a myth as it is a misunderstanding. With the exception of the Coral Snake venomous snakes found in the United States do have elliptical eyes. Go outside of the US however and that rule proves to be useless. It is more accurately stated that Pit Vipers have elliptical eyes, but saying all venomous snakes have them is false. Elapids such as the Cobra and the Boomslang have round pupils. The rule works so well in the United States because the most commonly encountered venomous species are pit vipers.

Identification of snakes even for the well trained observer can at times prove difficult. The goal with this article is to give you some tips to help in the process. If you aren’t absolutely positive that the snake you have seen is not venomous do not attempt to pick it up or otherwise harass it.

What species are known to live in the area?
This is the first place you should start in your effort to determine what species of snake you are looking at. If you’re in the middle of Ghana for instance you know that the California King snake isn’t likely to show up. At the same time you’re very likely to come across a Ball Python if you happen to be digging around in termite mounds in Ghana.

This isn’t fool proof to determine if a snake is or isn’t of a particular species. Due to human colonization of almost every bit of inhabitable land on the planet it is not unheard of for species of flora and fauna, including snakes, to end up where they didn’t originally exist.

What color is the snake?
The most easily observable aspect of a snake is its color. Even before you see the shape of its body you can see the coloration. You should look to see if it is:

Multicolored
Muted colors
Vibrant colors

Color alone won’t allow you to identify most snakes (exceptions made for one of a kind species such as the Brazilian Rainbow Boa) but it does help to narrow down the list of possible species.

What patterns and shapes are the colors in?
This is a very important aspect of identifying snakes. Every species has unique patterns that when you know what to look for make it much easier to tell what kind of snake it is. A good example is the Scarlet King snake and the Coral Snake. They both have very similar colors and it is the pattern these colors appear in that makes them identifiable one from the other. A popular mnemonic verse goes “Red touch black, venom lacks. Red touch yellow, kill a fellow”. Scarlet kings have red, black and yellow bands as do Coral snakes, but the colors appear in a different combination.

Often the patterns and shapes of a snakes colors are so distinct that it is easy to tell what kind of snake it is just by a casual glance. A prime example is the Boa Constrictor. Regardless if it is Boa Constrictor constrictor or imperator the general patterns alone give it away as a Boa Constrictor.

What size is the snake?
This can be misleading for a variety of reasons including the fact that age plays a huge role in how large a snake is at the time you see it. However it is still an important weapon in the arsenal of identification. Apply the rule of common sense when it comes to snake sizes and identifying species. If you observe a 15 foot long snake, regardless of the patterns it isn’t going to be a Corn Snake. It could well be a Reticulated Python or a Burmese Python but it won’t be a Corn Snake.

What is the overall shape of the snake?
This is another aspect of a snake that can be misleading as far as identifying species is concerned but it is worth a mention. The general shape of the snake can help to determine what species it is. When talking about the shape of a snake in this instance it is referring to their roundness. Look to see if it is:

Normal:
Snakes that are normal or typical in their bodily appearance have a medium build. They are more or less round, not especially stout or noticeably slender. A King snake is a good example of having the normal body shape.

Slender:
A slender snake will appear skinny when you look at it. Not emaciated, but skinny. A Coachwhip is a good example of the slender body shape.

Stout:
A stout snake looks chubby. When you see it you might think it is overweight and if you didn’t know better that would be a forgivable offense. A Ball Python is a good example of the stout body shape.

What is the shape of the snakes head?
The shape of the head can play a key role in the ID of a snake. Some species have very distinct characteristics when it comes to head shape. You should observe if the head is:

The same size as the body:
Some snakes have no discernible necks which makes it appear as if the body and the head are all one piece. King snakes are a good example.

Slightly larger than the body:
The head can be distinguished from the body but it is not such a large difference as to be glaring. The Garter Snake is a good example.

Much broader than the body:
The head is noticeably larger than the body of the snake, often reminiscent of an arrow head. The Green Tree Python is a good example.

By looking at all six of these aspects we are able to better determine the species of snake we are looking at. As was stated earlier the identification of snakes, especially unfamiliar species, is best left to experts. If you don’t know what kind of snake you are attempting to handle the outcome could be grim.

WHO launches antivenom database

PetSnakes — Sun, 09 May 2010 17:24:29 +0000

The World Health Organization (WHO) has recently launched a new website dedicated to cutting down the estimated 100,000 deaths caused by envenomation by deadly snakes. In addition to deaths caused by being bitten by venomous snakes WHO estimates there are upwards of 2.5 million people who are maimed by being bitten. Even if one doesn’t die from being envenomed you might have to contend with a host of other issues including:

Paralysis caused by neurotoxic venom
Hemorrhaging caused by hemotoxic venom
Kidney failure
Tissue damage caused by necrosis which can lead to amputation of the effected limb

Needless to say being bitten by a venomous snake is a serious matter. Often we like to compare which snake is the deadliest in terms of how potent their venom is but any venomous snake has the potential to kill a person. In first world nations such as the United States medical care is usually available very rapidly and getting people the antivenins needed is relatively simple. However in third world and developing nations they often don’t have the resources, knowledge, or finances to provide the required treatments to victims of snake bites. This new WHO database will be used to assist medical professionals and others all over the world in saving lives.

You can read more about the database at the official WHO venom database.

How to check your snakes gender

PetSnakes — Thu, 06 May 2010 05:02:45 +0000

There are several old wives tales going around about how to determine what sex your pet snake is. In this article we will lay those myths about snakes to rest and explain how to accurately determine gender.

Snake gender myth 1: Vestigial legs: Some people claim that the gender of a snake can be determined by looking for vestigial legs. If they are clearly visible with the naked eye then the snake is male. If hidden then the snake is female. This is not true as many species of snake don’t even have vestigial legs at all!
Snake gender myth 2: Length of the tail: This is more like a half myth as there as some species, such as corn snakes, where the size of the tail can give a pretty good idea of gender but by no means is it considered to be fool-proof. Female snakes are said to have longer, thinner tails than the males.

Accurate methods

Popping: This method is best done on juvenile snakes. In the video below, Kathy Love shows how to properly pop a snake.

This is generally a safe method to check the sex of your snake, but it has been known to cause a condition known as prolapse.
Probing: This method is often considered the most accurate and is best done by a vet or when you’ve been properly trained by an expert in how to do it. Because you are inserting something inside of your snake’s body it can do damage if you are not careful!

Useless tool: The snake bite kit

PetSnakes — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 14:00:00 +0000

Those who live, work and play in the outdoors are told to bring a snake bite kit. As our knowledge about snakes and their venom has advanced we’ve come to learn not only are these kits useless in treating venomous snake bites, but they can do more harm than good. The usual contents of a snake bite kit include:

Suction cup(s) – Intended to suck out the venom
Scalpel – For making incisions around the area of the bite so that suction can work better
Tourniquet/Compression device – Used to restrict the flow of blood from the bite area to slow down the spread of venom
Anti-septic swabs – To clean around the bite and wherever a scalpel might be used

Suction: A suction cup will remove less than 1/1000th of the venom. They have been shown to cause necrosis around the bite. Sucking the venom out by mouth is worse. You can potentially become envenomated through open sores in your mouth or even through the mucus membrane.
Scalpel (cutting): This will only cause further damage and greater risk for infection.
Tourniquet/Compression device: The application of a tourniquet has been proven to do more harm than good. There is a risk of gangrene developing and in most cases it does nothing to slow the spread of venom.
Anti-septic swabs: While these are not necessarily harmful they serve no purpose in treating snake bites.

Now that you’ve seen what not to do how about we talk about effective treatment for snake bites.

Protect yourself, the victim, and anyone involved

A snake can and will bite multiple times if cornered and feeling threatened. Get yourself and everyone else out of the area where the bite occurred. Move calmly but rapidly and watch for other snakes in the area. It is not unheard of for more than one venomous snake to be in one place.

If possible and safe make a positive identification of the snake. The proper treatment depends on it. Normally I wouldn’t advocate killing a snake, but if someone has been bit and you can’t be one hundred percent certain as to the kind of snake, AND you can do so safely killing the snake and collecting it would not be a bad idea. If you do this be VERY careful. Even snakes that have been decapitated have been known to bite.

Remain calm

Venom, regardless of if it is hemotoxic or neurotoxic spreads through the body and various organs by the blood. The more stressed a person is the faster the heart beats and the quicker the venom spreads. You must remain as calm as you possibly can.

Call for help

Once everyone is safe contacting help is the first priority. Rapid transport of envenomated victims is the standard operating procedure for nearly all medical response units in the world. They will also know where to take the person to receive the proper treatment. Not all hospitals carry antivenin and those that do usually only have it for local species. So if you are bit by an exotic species from a private collection it might be harder to find.

You can arrange to meet the ambulance on the way. Give the dispatcher you location, type/description of vehicle you are driving, and planned route of travel. If someone aside from the victim can drive they should.

Keep the bite below the heart

This will help slow the spread of venom through the body. If it is a limb such as hand or finger that has been bit try to put it in the functional position

Avoid food or drink

Food and drink will cause the venom to spread faster. Especially do not give alchol because it causes more venom to be absorbed into surrounding tissue.

Do not give medication

Giving medication can cause more harm than good. If a doctor directs you to give medication do so, but otherwise don’t. Not even medicine for pain management

Loosen or remove clothing

In almost all cases snake bites result in swelling of the tissue around the bite and the formation of blisters. Keeping the area free of restriction will make the victim more comfortable and make it easier to work on the damaged area. Keep in mind that medical professionals will almost always cut away clothing to gain better access to assess the patient.

Rattlesnake bites 2nd man in Florida

PetSnakes — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 01:05:31 +0000

If yesterdays story of a man being bitten by a rattlesnake wasn’t enough we have this story out of the Florida Everglades where another man has been bitten by a rattlesnake. At this point no details have been made public.

Under normal circumstances this wouldn’t be worthy of mention but due to the location it piqued our interest. The bite occurred in the Everglades, the quasi-adoptive home of the Burmese Python, snake of choice to hate after the 2 year old was killed by one at the beginning of the month. We can’t help but wonder if Rattlesnakes will now be added to the snake hunt. Especially now that two Florida residents have been bitten in as many days. After all it took 12 deaths over 28 years for the media to suddenly decide Burmese pythons are evil, surely it won’t take that long for the rattlesnake to be added to the list.