Snakes of Louisiana

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devindreamer

Here in Louisiana there are only 6 types of poisonous or venomous snakes and a multitude of non-poisonous ones. My husband has been interested in reptiles since he was a child and his Mother used to take him to Fountainbleau State Park in Mandeville and the Gulf Coast. It was standard procedure to search him before he was allowed in the car for the trip home.

Here in our habitat on the Tchefuncte River we do not kill any snake, even Water Moccasins. When we first moved here, a friend who lived nearby urged us to kill ALL poisonous snakes on our property, but we believe that all snakes are beneficial to the environment as a whole. To avoid accidents, we cut wide trails and watch where we walk. Al discourages those poisonous snakes that insist on lurking near the path by using a long stick to flip them back into the water.

During rainy periods, when the water rises, all water snakes spend more time on the high ground because their normal holes and dens are flooded. We know that we must be alert during these times.
 

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There are countless numbers of beneficial non-poisonous snakes in Louisiana. These snakes do a great service for us, by eating vermin and insects. Of course some of them also eat birds, but this is the cycle of life so it is as nature intended. The following is a list of non-poisonous snakes. Most have links to more information and I will be adding photos of the ones that are common here in Southeastern Louisiana. I have also written individual lenses about several of the more common species here in the habitat. Some of the photos are of our resident snake handler who has years of experience doing this sort of thing, so kids, don't try this at home.

 

King / Milksnakes

Louisiana Milksnake
mole kingsnake
prairie kingsnake
scarlet kingsnake



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speckled kingsnake

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Water Snakes

yellow-bellied water snake


blotched water snake

broad-banded water snake


diamondback water snake


Gulf salt marsh snake
midland water snake

Mississippi green water snake

 

Racers

black-masked racer
buttermilk racer

Buttermilk Racer photo is Creative Commons


Eastern Coachwhip
Eastern Yellow-bellied Racer
Southern Black Racer

Tan Racer
 

Whip Snakes and Rat Snakes

Black Rat Snake

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Texas Rat Snake


Corn Snake

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Pine Snakes, Brown Snakes, Worm Snakes and Mud Snakes

Black Pine Snake
Louisiana Pine Snake
Florida Red-bellied Snake
Marsh Brown Snake

Midland Brown Snake

Midland Brown Snake photo Creative Commons


Texas Brown Snake

Texas Brown Snake Photo Creative Commons


Midwest Worm Snake

Western Worm Snake

Western Worm Snake photo Creative Commons


Western Mud Snake

References: Kingsnake.com and Dundee, Harold A. and Douglas A. Rossman, The Amphibians and Reptiles of Louisiana.
 

Mississippi Ringneck Snake


Northern Scarlet Snake

Pine Woods Snake

Rough Green Snake


References: Kingsnake.com and Dundee, Harold A. and Douglas A. Rossman, The Amphibians and Reptiles of Louisiana.
 

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Moccasin Display by PhotoWolf

Recently, during a high water period, our Cocker Spaniel, 2nd Chance, encountered a Water Moccasin with a particularly nasty disposition.

As I look back on the incident, Chance is sort of a hero. I had my back turned and was standing about 3 feet away looking up into the trees for a water bird that had flown from Pruden Creek and Chance got between me and the snake. I heard a yip and a scuffle and turned in time to see Chance swinging a medium sized water moccasin back and forth as it hung from his neck. The snake finally dropped from Chance's throat and began to slither away as Chance lunged at him. I yelled for Al and got the leash on Chance and tried to take him in the opposite direction while Al herded the snake away from us. Chance still wanted a piece of that snake and followed it until it escaped into a hole. When I felt Chance's throat, there was blood, so I knew he had been bitten.

Our Vet told us years ago that unless it is an extraordinarily large poisonous snake, that dogs usually do not react like we do to the venom. Usually Benadryl given after the bite will suffice, but when they are bitten around the throat area, the wound can become abscessed, so more care must be given. We normally take our cell phone when we walk the dogs to the river, so we called Dr. Rusty and he said to bring him in. He shaved the area and sure enough, there were 2 fang marks, right in the middle of his throat. He cleaned the wound with hydrogen peroxide and gave him 3 shots (Cortisone, Benadryl and Penicillin) plus a weeks worth of antibiotic pills. We were told to watch for swelling and signs of an infection.
 

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This is the list of all the poisonous snakes that are indigenous to the state of Louisiana. These are the only ones that could be dangerous or harmful, but even they have their place in nature and should be left alone if they are not threatening life or limb.Coral Snakes, Moccasins (Copperheads and Cottonmouths) and Rattlesnakes

   A. Eastern Coral Snake Texas Coral Snake
   B. western Pygmy Rattlesnake
   C. Copperhead
   D. Cottonmouth
   E. Timber (Canebrake) Rattlesnake
   F. Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake
 

Photo reference: Dundee, Harold A. and Douglas A. Rossman. The Amphibians and Reptiles of Louisiana. LSU Press, 1989

Copperhead Portrait by PhotoWolf

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