SNAKES OF TEXAS 2019 ANNUAL MEETING ROCKWALL, TEXAS OCTOBER 18, 2019 PRESENTED BY CHUCK SWATSKE ELM FORK CHAPTER [email protected] MOBILE : 214/232-0704 SNAKES OF TEXAS 1. INTRODUCTION o ABOUT ME o HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT SNAKES? 2. THE NATURE OF SNAKES 3. SNAKE SPECIES IN TEXAS o HOW DOES A SNAKE EAT? o THE JACOBSON ORGAN MYTHS & MONSTERS SNAKES OF TEXAS 4. TALKING SNAKES o VENOMONOUS SNAKES o NON-VENOMOUS SNAKES 5. FUN WITH IDENTIFICATION MYTHS & MONSTERS SNAKES OF TEXAS 6. UNDERSTANDING VENOM. o OPISTHOGLYPHS, PROTEROGLYPH, SOLENOGLYPH o TOXINS – ENZIMES & PROTEINS o HEMOTOXIC & NEUROTOXIC & OTHERS 7. ALL ABOUT ANTI-VENOM o WHAT IS ANTIVENOM? o SNAKES ON A PLANE o WHY PHYSICANS DON’T GIVE ANTIVENOM 8. BITTEN BY A SNAKE? o MANAGEMENT OF PIT VIPER BITES o WHAT TO AVOID o TIME IS TISSUE o TREATMENT & AFTERCARE MYTHS & MONSTERS SNAKES OF TEXAS 9. HOW CAN SNAKE VENOM BE USED IN MEDICINE ? MYTHS & MONSTERS SNAKES OF TEXAS 1. INTRODUCTION ABOUT ME o CERTIFIED TEXAS MASTER NATURALIST (ELM FORK CHAPTER CLASS OF 2018) o LIFE-LONG REPTILE & AMPHIBIAN ENTHUSIAST o AMATEUR HERPETOLOGIST o FOUNDER OF SNAKE CITY TEXAS (Snake Relocation, Consultation, Education) SNAKES OF TEXAS 1. INTRODUCTION CLASS POLL HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT SNAKES ? • HOW MUCH DO YOU BELIVE YOU KNOW ABOUT SNAKES ? o NOTHING? o SOME TO A LITTLE? o A GREAT DEAL? SNAKES OF TEXAS 1. INTRODUCTION CLASS POLL HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT SNAKES ? SNAKES OF TEXAS 2. THE NATURE OF SNAKES WESTERN DIAMONDBACK RATTLESNAKE THE MOST HIGHLY EVOLVED SNAKES ON OUR PLANET WHEN THEY HUNT, THEY AMBUSH THEIR PREY. THEY SIT & THEY WAIT VERY STILL SOMETIMES FOR MANY HOURS SNAKES OF TEXAS 2. THE NATURE OF SNAKES WESTERN DIAMONDBACK RATTLESNAKE They hunt their prey using heat-sensing pits that do what their name implies: they help the snake sense heat. They can track their prey with their tongues & vaguely see them with their eyes, but it's their loreal pits that make up the difference SNAKES OF TEXAS 2. THE NATURE OF SNAKES WESTERN DIAMONDBACK RATTLESNAKE WHEN THEIR PREY COME PAST, THEY HIT IT, ENVENOMATE IT USING FANGS THAT UN-HINGE. FANGS KEPT UNFOLDED IN THE ROOF OF THEIR MOUTH UNTIL NEEDED. SNAKES OF TEXAS 2. THE NATURE OF SNAKES WESTERN DIAMONDBACK RATTLESNAKE VENOM THEN IMMOBILIZES THE PREY, BEGINS THE DIGESTIVE PROCES ALLOWING THE SNAKE TO SWALLOW THE PREY (A MOUSE) WHOLE IT’S A SHOCKING BEHAVIOR PARTICILARILY FOR THE MOUSE. SNAKES OF TEXAS 2. THE NATURE OF SNAKES 13:37 19:01 SNAKES OF TEXAS 3. SNAKE SPECIES IN TEXAS • 3,432 known species of Snake in our world. • Cold Blooded (Ectothermic) vs. (Endothermic) • Scales – Kneeled & Smooth • Snakes have a backbone • 2 part forked tongue – Jacobson’s Organ SNAKES OF TEXAS 3. SNAKE SPECIES IN TEXAS • No extended ear openings. • Fused eyelids with a scale. • Single functional lung • Jawbones made up of many moving parts • Most are Oviparous, some are Ovoviviparous. SNAKES OF TEXAS 3. SNAKE SPECIES IN TEXAS HOW DOES A SNAKE EAT A LARGE PREY ? SNAKES OF TEXAS 3. SNAKE SPECIES IN TEXAS HOW DOES A SNAKE EAT A PREY SO MUCH LARGER THAN ITSELF ? SNAKES OF TEXAS 3. SNAKE SPECIES IN TEXAS HOW DOES A SNAKE EAT A PREY SO MUCH LARGER THAN ITSELF? SNAKES OF TEXAS 3. SNAKE SPECIES IN TEXAS The Jacobson’s Organ • Snakes have also developed a highly a specialized scent organ known as the Jacobson organ, which allows them to literally taste & smell the air! SNAKES OF TEXAS 3. SNAKE SPECIS IN TEXAS The Jacobson’s Organ • The snake sends out his forked tongue & some of the moisture-laden smell particles lands on the tips of the fork. The snake flicks its tongue back inside where the Tips of its forked tongue can be dipped into the ducts from the Jacobson organ. SNAKES OF TEXAS 3. SNAKE SPECIES IN TEXAS The Jacobson’s Organ BRAIN NERVE JACOBSON’S ORGAN TONGUE This allows the snake to smell even more scents, things like pheromones and sweaty, stinky socks! SNAKES OF TEXAS 3. SNAKE SPECIES IN TEXAS There are 115 different snake species and sub-species found in the state of Texas but only 15 of those are venomous. SNAKES OF TEXAS MYTHS & MONSTERS SNAKES OF TEXAS MTYTHS & MONSTERS • Flower Mound, Texas (August 7, 2018)…. “Sunday night we were walking down on Cross Timbers Road & Auburn Road on the sidewalk, & there was a big copperhead and it was in ATTACK MODE. We ran back home because we didn’t have a flashlight”. SNAKES OF TEXAS MTYTHS & MONSTERS • The myths that snakes attack humans is born from this same fear. But it doesn’t make sense. A snake cannot eat a person. Biting someone is more often than not going to lead to the snake’s death as venom is not instantly lethal. SNAKES of TEXAS 4. TALKING SNAKES • Identifying a snake you just saw can be a difficult task. SNAKES WITH BANDS SNAKES WITH STRIPES SNAKES WITH SOLID COLORS 1. COPPERHEAD 1. WESTERN RIBBON SNAKE 2. DEKAY’S BROWN SNAKE 1. ROUGH EARTH SNAKE 2. COTTONMOUTH (WATER MOCASSIN) 2. ROUGH GREEN SNAKE 3. MILK SNAKE 3. PATCH-NOSE SNAKE 4. LINED SNAKE 3. YELLOW BELLIED RACER 4. TEXAS CORAL SNAKE 4. BLIND SNAKE 5. TIMBER RATTLESNAKE SNAKES WITH BLOTCHES/ SPOTS/STRIPES 5. WESTERN COACHWHIP 6. ROCK RATTLESNAKE 1. WESTERN RAT SNAKE 6. TEXAS INDIGO SNAKE 2. BULL SNAKE 7. PLAIN BELLIED WATERSNAKE SNAKES WITH SPECIAL PATTERNS 3. PRAIRIE KING SNAKE 8. RINGNECK SNAKE (DIAMONDS, CRISS-CROSS PATTERN) 4. WESTERN HOGNOSE SNAKE 9. GRAHAM’S CRAYFISH SNAKE 5. TEXAS GARTER SNAKE 1. DIAMONDBACK WATER SNAKE 6. SPECKLED KING SNAKE 2. WESTERN DIAMONDBACK RATTLESNAKE 7. MASSASAUGA RATTLESNAKE 3. MOJAVE RATTLESNAKE 8. PIGMY RATTLESNALE 4. BLACKTAIL RATTLESNAKE SNAKES OF TEXAS 4. TALKING SNAKES SNAKES OF TEXAS 4. TALKING SNAKES Coluber The eastern constrictor yellowbelly racer is flaviventris, found in the United States, from the Commonly known states of Montana, as the eastern North Dakota, east yellowbelly racer, to Iowa and south to is a subspecies of Texas, and racer, a southwest to nonvenomous, Louisiana. It is also colubrid snake. It found in isolated is endemic to populations in North America. Canada. SNAKES OF TEXAS 4. TALKNG SNAKES NON-VENOMOUS SNAKE SPECIES • 85% of all snake species in Texas are non-venomous 1) Western Rat Snake –(Pantherophis obsoletus) 12) Lined Snake –(Tropidoclonion lineatum) 2) Rough Green Snake –(Opheodrys aestivus) 13) Dekay’s Brown Snake –(Storeria dekayi) 3) Texas Garter Snake -(Thamnophis sirtalis annectens) 14) P-Bellied Water Snake–(Nerodia erythrogaster) 4) Western Hognose Snake –(Heterodon nasicus) 15) D-B Water Snake –(Nerodia rhombifer) 5) Western Coachwhip –(Masticophis flagellum testaceus) 16) Y-Bellied Racer –(Coluber constrictor flaviventris) 6) Ring-Necked Snake –(Diadophis punctatus) 17) Rough Earth Snake –(Virginia striatula) 7) Speckled Kingsnake –(Ampropeltis getula holbrooki) 18) Blind Snake –(Leptotyphlops dulcis) 8) Prairie Kingsnake –(Lampropeltis calligaster) 19) Buttermilk Racer –(Clouber constrictor anthicus) 9) Milk Snake –(Lampropeltis triangulum) 20) Texas Indigo -(Drymarchon melanurus erebennus) P 10) Western Ribbon Snake –(Thamnophis proximus) 11) Bull Snake –(Pituophis catenifer) Texas Indigo Snake P = PROTECTED SNAKES OF TEXAS 4. TALKING SNAKES DIAMONDBACK WATER SNAKE BLACK-NECKED GARTER SNAKE EASTERN PINE SNAKE SNAKES OF TEXAS 4. TALKING SNAKES DIAMONDBACK WATER SNAKE SNAKES OF TEXAS 4. TALKING SNAKES VENOMOUS SNAKE SPECIES The State of Texas is home to 14 venomous snake species or sub-species 11) Eastern Copperhead –(Agkistrodon contortrix) 1) Western Diamondback –(Crotalus Atrox) 2) Timber Rattlesnake P –(Crotalus horridus) 12) Broadband Copperhead –(Agkistrodon contortrix 3) Western Massasauga–(Sistrurus catenatus laticinctus) 4) Desert Massasauga–(S.c. edwardsii) 13) Western Cottonmouth/Water Moccasin – 5) Mojave Rattlesnake –(Crotalus scutulatus) (Agkistrodon piscivorous) 6) Pigmy Rattlesnake –(Sistrurus miliarius) 7) Prairie Rattlesnake – (Crotalus viridis) 14) Texas Coral Snake - (Micrurus tener) 8) Blacktail Rattlesnake –(Crotalus molossus) 9) Banded Rock Rattlesnake –(Crotalus Lepidus) 10) Mottled Rattlesnake - (Crotalus Lepidus) TIMBER RATTLESNAKE P = PROTECTED SNAKES OF TEXAS 4. TALKING SNAKES Venomous Snakes of Texas THE PIT VIPERS • All of the snakes in this group (Rattlesnake, Cottonmouth and Copperhead) are members of the Viperidae family of snakes – PIT VIPERS for short. • The first part of the name, "pit," refers to the heat-sensing pits. • These pits are located about midway between the snake's eye and nostril. • The pits are thermoreceptors. They can detect differences in temperature, which helps the pit vipers locate their prey. SNAKES OF TEXAS Agkistrodon piscivorous 4. TALKING SNAKES THE PIT VIPERS • The heat sensing pits help the Pit Viper sense heat. The biggest use for “pits” is during hunting. Pit Vipers can track their prey with their tonges & Jacobson organ and Venom Hemo-Toxic vaguely see prey with their eyes, but it’s the loreal pits that make up a big difference. SNAKES OF TEXAS Agkistrodon piscivorous 4. TALKING SNAKES THE PIT VIPERS • Pits are sensitive to infrared radiation, which warm-blooded animals give off as heat. • This allows the pit viper to physically see their prey in tones of heat & cool so their can strike. Hemo-Toxic Venom Hemo-Toxic • Pit vipers also use their pit organs to help them find cool places to regulate their internal temperatures. SNAKES OF TEXAS Agkistrodon piscivorous 4. TALKING SNAKES Pit Viper WESTERN COTTONMOUTH (WATER MOCCASIN) • Also known as 'water moccasins', one recognized sub-species is found in Texas; The Western Cottonmouth, • Cottonmouths can be dark brown, olive-brown, olive green or almost solid black. They are marked with wide, dark bands, which are more distinct in some individuals than in others.. • The cottonmouth gets its name from the white tissue inside its Hemo-Toxic Venom Hemo-Toxic mouth, which it displays when threatened. • This heavy-bodied snake, which averages about 3-1/2 feet in length, is found over the central and eastern half of the state in swamps and sluggish waterways, coastal marshes, rivers, ponds and streams.