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It’s In Your Nature: Snakes are not the bad guys

Published June 24. 2023 09:00AM

Snakes are not always a favorite subject for those who read my column but they are part of the web of life. I hope to help you identify those you may find this summer. There are 14 species here in the Times News coverage area. I have seen all but 2 or 3 of those species.

There are only 2 venomous snakes here, the timber rattlesnake and the northern copperhead. Seldom do folks get bitten but awareness of their habitat preferences will reduce that chance. Neither the timber rattlesnake nor the copperhead generally strays very far from rocky hillsides, with copperheads favoring rocky areas in proximity to water sources.

I do work hard to find and photograph our snakes and I’m hoping this week’s column helps you to identify and to respect what they can offer us. As with most wild animals, they do their best to avoid being seen by “these big, two legged critters.”

I find it almost impossible not to lift a board, sheet of metal, or tree barks strips in an effort to find their daytime hiding places.

All snakes are poikilothermic (cold blooded) and need the sun to warm up or to find daytime hiding places to avoid becoming too hot. I’ve found black rat snakes, northern water snakes, black racers, and a timber rattlesnake “sunning” themselves on cool, late spring mornings.

Our local snakes range in size from the largest (black rat snake, up to around 8 feet), to ringneck snakes and eastern worm snakes (presumably living in our region, but almost never seen) 8 to 18 inches in size.

Snakes cannot chew and have jaws that unhinge to swallow mice that appear to be two times too large to swallow. Snakes have many small, backward curved teeth to help keep the prey in its mouth.

Garter snakes and ringneck snakes, when young, feed on insects, grubs or earthworms. Black rat snakes can catch and eat a young rabbit, but the numerous chipmunks make up the bulk of their diet as well as the rattlesnakes and copperheads.

Some snakes lays eggs (rather leathery and elongated) while others bear live young. However, the live bearing snakes actually have their eggs developing inside their body (no hard shell) that break from the egg sac and the female gives birth to live young (correctly called ovoviviparous snakes.)

Garter and water snakes are ovoviviparous. Black racers and black rat snakes lay soft shelled eggs in rotting stumps or sawdust. (Correctly called oviparous snakes.) No snakes will remain with their eggs or help the young survive as birds or mammals do.

On your nature hikes, look up for the birds and check out suitable habitats near your feet for one of the many snakes we have locally.

Test Your Outdoor Knowledge: A ____ is a close relative to the cottonmouth found in the Southern U.S. A. northern water snake; B. black racer; C northern copperhead; D. hognose snake.

Last Week’s Trivia Answer: A damaging insect pest to our bean crop, the Mexican bean beetle is a lady bird beetle species.

Email Barry Reed at breed71@gmail.com

I found this 20-inch garter snake while lifting a discarded sheet of sheathing. Notice the hazy eye coloring indicating it is about to shed its skin. Snakes may shed 4 or 5 times each summer. BARRY REED PHOTOS
This is why we should respect and protect snakes. This garter snake just finished swallowing a field mouse 2 to 3 times the diameter of its neck area. Its expandable jaws enable it to swallow prey whole.
Milk snakes, like this young one, are uniquely patterned but are sometimes killed by those who fear venomous copperheads. It is a shame they get killed because they are a farmer's friend. Since it takes about 1 week to digest its field mouse meal, think of how many field mice or deer mice in his corn cribs they eat each summer. It is our best “mouser.”
The northern ringneck snake is probably the easiest snake to “warm up to.” It grows to a “whopping” 15 or 18 inches, has the unique ring behind its head, and can be safely handled to study it farther. Look under a rotting log or a board in a damp forested area.
Our region's largest snake is the black rat snake. It is one of the three darkest snake species. This 5-foot specimen was warming in the May sunshine on a local dirt road.
Mr. Wehr, from the Ashfield area, has had a female black rat snake lay her eggs in a rotting stump the past two years. The young, about 12 inches long, do not yet have the deep black coloration as the adults.
The second dark snake is the black racer. It does reach nearly 5 feet in length, and besides its “speed” it is also an excellent climber. I've seen them hurry through grassy fields occasionally popping their heads above the grass like a telescope.
The other mostly dark non-venomous snake is the northern water snake. These two (male presumed to be the smaller one) were warming on some stream-side rocks. Water snakes get darker as they get older.
The largest of our region's venomous snakes is the eastern timber rattlesnake. This is a yellow phase “rattler.” The more common black phase is similar to the color nearest the tail of this specimen. All snakes in Pennsylvania are regulated by the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission. Killing of most of our state's snakes is illegal. Rattlesnake's have special regulations regarding their protection.
Rattlesnakes and copperheads are pit vipers. They use the small openings near their nostrils to detect heat and because of that can hunt small mammals even at night. Note pit vipers have elliptical pupils, not round like water or garter snakes.
One of the most reclusive and almost lethargic looking snakes is the northern copperhead. They are fairly common in their preferred habitats but seldom seen (excellent protective coloration.) They are also protected and can be identified by the head coloration different from the rest of the body, hence its name.
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Barry Reed