G3139 Snakes of Wisconsin Scott R. Craven and George J. Knudsen though, that bee and wasp isconsin is home to 22 stings and lightning claim far more lives different snake species. nationwide than poisonous snakes. WSome snakes are abundant, some rare. Most help to control potentially destruc- If people knew a little more about snakes, tive insects and rodents. Only two—both they would not misunderstand and fear rattlesnakes—are poisonous. them. A fear of snakes is often acquired from friends or relatives who fear snakes. Many people fear snakes, probably In most cases, this fear is one that can be because they know that several are poi- overcome! sonous. Some people go out of their way to kill snakes, even when there is no Outdoor enthusiasts in particular should threat to safety or property. As a result, learn to identify snakes and know some- many harmless and beneficial snakes are thing about their behavior and ecology, indiscriminately destroyed. In addition, not only to be safe, but also because thousands of snakes fall victim annually to snakes are interesting members of the nat- cars on our highways. Traffic probably ural world. Snakes are secretive and reduces snake populations significantly in often protectively colored, so it’s a chal- some areas of Wisconsin. lenge to spot even those that are abundant. None of Wisconsin’s snakes are large enough to hurt a human by squeezing, or Rural and suburban homeowners may “constricting.” But snakes can bite. Most occasionally encounter snakes and should large snakes bite when cornered or han- know enough about them to make such dled, and tiny ones often try. Large encounters less traumatic—for both snakes may draw blood while small ones species. usually do not. Of course, rattlesnakes can inflict serious bites. Keep in mind, Some snake biology Yet other snakes are opportunistic and nakes are reptiles, related to feed on whatever they can capture. lizards and turtles. Because Some, such as the blue racer, actively Sthey have backbones, they are also verte- pursue their prey, while others lie in wait brates, as are birds and mammals. But to ambush passing prey. unlike birds and mammals, snakes are “cold-blooded”; they cannot regulate Snake teeth vary in size, but they are all body temperature physiologically. They sharp and hooked backward to hold warm or cool themselves by seeking sun prey. The rattlesnake’s upper jaws have or shade, and obtain heat from the large hollow fangs which are connected ground, the air and directly from sunlight. to venom glands. The fangs fold back In winter, snakes hibernate below the against the roof of the mouth when not in frostline for as long as six or seven use. A snake’s lower jaws and the tooth- months. Some species gather in huge bearing bones of the upper jaw are masses to hibernate in favored locations loosely connected to the skull by liga- called hibernacula. Garter snakes are ments that allow the jaws to open wide famous for this, but even the larger and swallow large prey. species often share the same hibernacula, A snake’s forked tongue is a sensory such as deep crevices in rocky outcrop- organ for sound, taste and smell. It is not pings, old quarries or building founda- a “stinger.” tions. During extremely cold winters with little snow cover, deep penetrating frosts Snakes mate in spring. Some lay eggs, may kill hibernating snakes. while others give birth to living young which develop from eggs carried and Snakes feed on a wide variety of animal incubated inside the female. As a snake life: frogs, toads, lizards, salamanders, grows, it sheds its skin to allow for an earth worms, insects, small mammals and increase in size. Depending on food sup- birds. Some have specialized diets. For plies and weather conditions, a snake example, the hognose snake feeds heavi- may shed several times during a summer. ly on toads, the queen snake on crayfish. Watersnakes eat fish, and milk snakes sometimes eat other snakes. 2 Poisonous snakes Timber rattlers are typically non-aggres- isconsin has only two sive. They prefer to flee rather than bite or species of poisonous rely on their cryptic coloration to go unno- Wsnakes. The larger and potentially more ticed. Not many people venture into their dangerous is the timber rattler. This is a rocky, brushy habitat, so fortunately 1 large snake, sometimes reaching 5 ⁄2 feet human-snake encounters are kept to a and rarely a little longer. The timber rat- minimum. tler is yellowish with narrow, bold dark bands, black tail, unmarked yellow to yel- People hiking or hunting in timber rat- lowish-tan head and tan rattles. It is found tlesnake range and habitat should be cau- mainly near cliffs, rock outcroppings and tious about where they place their hands steep hillsides along the Wisconsin and and feet while climbing around rocks and Mississippi Rivers and their tributaries in walking near thick brush piles, fallen hol- southwestern Wisconsin, although individ- low trees and wood piles. They should uals occasionally turn up outside this also know, from consulting a first-aid primary range. guide, what to do in case of a poisonous snake bite. Timber rattler Timber rattler habitat 3 Wisconsin’s other poisonous snake is the massasauga or “swamp rattler.” This small- to medium-sized, heavy-bodied snake is restricted to low marshy or swampy areas in central and west central Wisconsin (figure 1). It is an endangered species and rarely encountered. It has disappeared from 52 of the 62 townships in which it was found before 1980, and now only a few isolated populations are known. They are found at the mouth of the Chippewa River, near Portage, near Massasauga the Necedah National Wildlife Refuge in central Wisconsin, and in the Turtle Creek area in Walworth County. The massas- auga has lethal venom, and there are records of humans having died from its bite, but not in Wisconsin. However, because of its small size, its bite is rarely fatal, although it can be serious if not treated. How to identify poisonous snakes There are several ways to distinguish poi- sonous from nonpoisonous snakes. In the field, the two rattlesnakes can be identi- fied by their obvious rattles and color pat- terns. In Wisconsin, any solid-colored or lengthwise-striped snake is nonpoisonous. Also, all nonpoisonous snakes have a tail that comes to a point like a sharpened pencil (figure 2). You can examine the characteristics of a dead snake in more detail (but don’t kill a snake for this pur- Figure 1. Timber rattler and massasauga habitat in pose). Be careful when approaching and Wisconsin. Neither species is uniformly distributed through- out its range; populations are local and spotty. Ranges are examining an apparently dead snake. It drawn to include some areas where there is only a remote may only appear dead. A freshly “killed” possibility of encountering these species. snake can turn its head and bite by reflex action. 4 Both of Wisconsin’s rattlesnakes belong to Poisonous snakes have elliptical, vertical the pit viper family, so named because of eye pupils, while nonpoisonous ones a pit or depression in front of each eye have round pupils. Also, the scales on the (figure 3). The pits are heat-sensing underside of the tails of poisonous and organs that aid in locating, striking and nonpoisonous snakes differ. capturing warm-blooded prey. Nonpoisonous snakes have no pits. Figure 2. Snake markings. Solid colored or lengthwise-striped snakes are nonpoisonous. If a snake is marked in any other way, use other characteristics for identification. Note the slender, pointed tail on all non-poisonous snakes. Smooth green snake Eastern garter snake Timber rattlesnake Bullsnake Figure 3. Characteristics of poisonous and nonpoisonous snakes. Poisonous Nonpoisonous vertical pupil round pupil nostril nostril pit underside of tail 5 Wiscons o help you interpret the Tinformation below, keep in mind that a small snake is less than 11⁄2 feet long; a medium snake is 11⁄2–3 feet long; and a large snake is more than 3 feet long. Eastern garter snake Bullsnake Blue racer Eastern garter snake Eastern Plains garter snake Smooth green snake (Coluber constrictor foxi). (Thamnophis sirtalis (Thamnophis radix radix). (Opheodrys vernalis). A A large, very smooth, sirtalis). Found statewide Found in the southern half small, bright green snake bluish-slate snake with a and very common in a wide of Wisconsin; similar to (sometimes tan or buff- yellow belly; very fast and variety of habitats. Small- to other garter snakes, but colored) with a white or aggressive; found in the medium-sized. with side stripes on third yellow belly; found southwestern quarter of and fourth rows of scales. statewide usually under Eastern hognose snake Wisconsin; farther north in Black bars on the upper lip debris. Rare in southern extreme western Wisconsin. (Heterodon platyrhinos). plates. Small- to medium- Wisconsin A medium-sized heavyset sized. Brown snake or snake with an upturned Western fox snake DeKay’s snake nose; generally brown with Northern red-bellied snake (Elaphe vulpina vulpina). (Storeria dekayi). A very large round brown spots; (Storeria occipitomaculata A large snake found small tan snake with two found in southern, central, occipitomaculata). A small statewide; yellowish with parallel rows of tiny dark northeastern and northwest- brown snake with a bright large dark saddles and side spots down the back; found ern Wisconsin. When dis- red or orange belly; found blotches; head of adult is a most commonly in southern turbed it flattens its head statewide. very distinct immaculate three-quarters of and neck like a cobra, hiss- copper color like a penny.