50906 KS Snakes_50906 KS Snakes 3/10/15 11:02 AM Page i A POCKET GUIDE TO Kansas Snakes Sixth Edition I I I Text by Joseph T. Collins, I Suzanne L. Collins & Travis W. Taggart I Photos by Suzanne L. Collins & Bob Gress Funded by the Chickadee Checkoff, Westar Energy Green Team, Sternberg & Museum of Natural History, Center for North American Herpetology, Kansas Herpetological Society Published by the Friends of the Great Plains Nature Center 50906 KS Snakes_50906 KS Snakes 3/10/15 11:02 AM Page ii Table of Contents • Introduction • 2 • Acknowledgements • 3 Threadsnakes I New Mexico Threadsnake • 4 Harmless Egg-laying Snakes I Glossy Snake • 5 I North American Racer • 6 I Prairie Kingsnake • 8 I Speckled Kingsnake • 10 I Eastern Milksnake • 12 ©Bob Gress I Western Milksnake • 12 I Coachwhip • 14 I Rough Greensnake • 16 I Smooth Greensnake • 17 I Great Plains Ratsnake • 18 Eastern Hog-nosed Snake I Western Ratsnake • 20 Cover Photo: Rough I Gophersnake • 22 Greensnake I Long-nosed Snake • 24 ©Suzanne L. Collins I Western Groundsnake • 25 ©Bob Gress I Flat-headed Snake • 26 I Plains Black-headed Snake • 27 Harmless Rear-fanged Snakes I Western Wormsnake • 28 I Ring-necked Snake • 29 Western Ratsnake I Plains Hog-nosed Snake • 30 I Dusty Hog-nosed Snake • 30 I Eastern Hog-nosed Snake • 32 I Chihuahuan Night Snake • 34 50906 KS Snakes_50906 KS Snakes 3/10/15 11:02 AM Page 1 Harmless Live-bearing Snakes I Plain-bellied Watersnake • 35 I Diamond-backed Watersnake • 36 I Common Watersnake • 38 I Graham's Crayfish Snake • 39 I Dekay's Brownsnake • 40 I Red-bellied Snake • 41 I Checkered Gartersnake • 42 I Western Ribbonsnake • 43 I Plains Gartersnake • 44 I Common Gartersnake • 46 I Lined Snake • 48 I Rough Earthsnake • 50 I Smooth Earthsnake • 51 Pit Vipers I Broad-banded Copperhead • 52 I Eastern Copperhead • 52 I Northern Cottonmouth • 54 ©Bob Gress I Timber Rattlesnake • 56 I Prairie Rattlesnake • 58 I Western Massasauga • 60 • Snakebite • 62 • Herpetology • 64 • Herpetoculture • 65 Western Massasauga • In Memoriam: Joe Collins • 66 • Taxonomy • 67 • Pocket Guides • 68 1 50906 KS Snakes_50906 KS Snakes 3/10/15 11:02 AM Page 2 Introduction There are about 3,522 species of snakes worldwide, with 162 found in the United States. Kansas has 42 species of snakes and they are the most diverse group of reptiles in our state. Fourteen of these have a nearly statewide distribution. Nine species have a primarily western distribution in the state and eleven are restricted to the eastern one-third of Kansas. Only five species of Kansas snakes are venomous. Ten are designated as Threatened Species or Species in Need of Conservation by the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism. All Kansas snakes are permanent, year-round residents and none migrate far from suitable habitat. This pocket guide includes all 42 species of snakes found in Kansas. These are the creatures you might encounter while hiking the prairies, canyons and forests. Snakes are much maligned and mostly misunderstood. Many people hold some unusual beliefs about Kansas snakes. For example, contrary to popular belief: • Snakes don’t swallow their young to protect them during times of danger (acids in a snake belly would quickly kill and digest the young). • Snakes don’t milk cows (snake teeth are very sharp and cows won't stand for it). • Snake tongues are not stingers (they do, however, tickle). Center for North American Herpetology Kansas Herpetological CNAH Society 2 50906 KS Snakes_50906 KS Snakes 3/10/15 11:02 AM Page 3 • Snakes cannot crawl faster than a person can walk (it just seems that way to some adrenaline-driven individuals when they unexpectedly encounter one of these reptiles). • Snakes will cross a horsehair rope (back and forth as many times as they like). Snakes are an integral part of the food chain. They are small, shy animals that are frightened by people. Understanding their role in nature and their unassuming presence are vital to dispel the myths and fears people have of snakes. Acknowledgements This publication would not be possible without the support of Ben Postlethwait (Westar Energy Green Team), Chris Berens (Chickadee Checkoff), Reese Barrick (Sternberg Museum of Natural History), and The Center for North American Herpetology. Thanks to Jim Mason (Great Plains Nature Center) for editing the text. Joseph T. Collins, Travis W. Taggart, Suzanne L. Collins & Bob Gress The range maps were created by Jim Mason, based on information from the Kansas Herpetofaunal Atlas website (see page 64). Chickadee Checkoff 3 50906 KS Snakes_50906 KS Snakes 3/10/15 11:02 AM Page 4 I New Mexico Threadsnake ©Suzanne L. Collins New Mexico Threadsnake (Rena dissecta) Threatened Species in Kansas 5 S i z e : Length in Kansas up to 10 ⁄8 inches. D e s c r i p t i o n : Harmless. A small, delicate serpent with dysfunctional eyes. Smooth scales. Uniform pinkish tan above and below. Only snake in Kansas with belly scales that are identical in size to rest of body scales. Tail very short and blunt. Young look like miniature adults. H a b i t s : Spends much of its life below ground; emerges on ground surface during times of high humidity. Can sometimes be located by lifting large rocks. Breeding probably occurs in spring. Up to six eggs are laid in cavities up to 30 inches below ground. Cannot bite defensively. Feeds on ant eggs and termites. 4 50906 KS Snakes_50906 KS Snakes 3/10/15 11:02 AM Page 5 I Glossy Snake ©Suzanne L. Collins Glossy Snake (Arizona elegans) Species in Need of Conservation S i z e : Length in Kansas up to 46¼ inches. D e s c r i p t i o n : Harmless. Smooth scales. As its name implies, this snake has an overall glossy appearance. Its body displays 39–69 dark gray or brown, black-edged blotches on a light gray/tan ground color and sports an immaculate white belly. A dark line extends from the angle of the jaw through the eye on each side of the head. Young are paler, but otherwise look like small adults. H a b i t s : Active at night from April to October; during the day it prefers to retreat into mammal burrows to escape heat and predators. Breeding occurs from May to July; an average of eight eggs are laid per clutch. Constrictor. Feeds on lizards and small rodents. 5 50906 KS Snakes_50906 KS Snakes 3/10/15 11:02 AM Page 6 I North American Racer ©Suzanne L. Collins 6 50906 KS Snakes_50906 KS Snakes 3/10/15 11:02 AM Page 7 North American Racer (Coluber constrictor) S i z e : Length in Kansas up to 55½ inches; weight up to 1 pound, 3 ounces. D e s c r i p t i o n : Harmless. Smooth scales; uniform cream or yellow belly with no pattern. Upper body of adults uniform blue-gray, greenish blue or brown. Young have a pattern of large, light-edged blotches on back alternating with smaller spots on sides; pattern distinct on front half of body, but fades toward the rear. Young also have scattered dark/reddish speckles on the belly. As they grow older, young lose all patterns and attain uniform appearance of adults. H a b i t s : A snake of open grassland, pasture and prairie during summer; generally found on rocky wooded hillsides in spring and fall. Spends day basking in sun or gliding over ground in search of food; average home range of 25 acres but not territorial. Five to 31 rough-shelled eggs per clutch, laid in June or July; incubation takes 2–3 months. Pursues and eats insects, frogs, lizards, other snakes, birds, bird eggs and small mammals. Despite its scientific name, it is not a constrictor. 7 50906 KS Snakes_50906 KS Snakes 3/10/15 11:02 AM Page 8 I Prairie Kingsnake ©Suzanne L. Collins 8 50906 KS Snakes_50906 KS Snakes 3/10/15 11:02 AM Page 9 Prairie Kingsnake (Lampropeltis calligaster) S i z e : Length in Kansas up to 52 inches; weight up to 14 ounces. D e s c r i p t i o n : Harmless. Smooth scales; light and dark pattern on belly; 40–78 brown to reddish blotches on back. Head, body and tail are brown or tan; dark red or brown blotches on back are edged with black; 2–3 series of small brown or dark red spots on sides alternate with blotches on back. Pattern may become cream obscured in older/larger specimens. Belly is white with dark irregular markings. Young look like adults. H a b i t s : Inhabits rocky hillsides with open woods, prairie grassland and sand prairies. Very secretive; when not actively prowling, retreats beneath rocks or down burrows of other animals. Active from April to October; nocturnal during summer months. Five to 17 eggs per clutch; eggs hatch in 1- 3 months. Constrictor. Feeds on small mammals, small snakes and lizards. 9 50906 KS Snakes_50906 KS Snakes 3/10/15 11:02 AM Page 10 I Speckled Kingsnake ©Suzanne L. Collins 10 50906 KS Snakes_50906 KS Snakes 3/10/15 11:02 AM Page 11 Speckled Kingsnake (Lampropeltis holbrooki) S i z e : Length in Kansas up to 49¾ inches. D e s c r i p t i o n : Harmless. Smooth scales; belly yellow and irregularly patterned with black; black head, body and tail profusely speckled with small yellow, cream or white spots. Yellow speckling on back forms narrow bars in juveniles and occasionally in adults.