Mississippi

Native

Snakes

Scientific Classification

Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Retptilia Order Squamata Family: Colubridae

The Colubrid family represents two-thirds of the population of all snake families. In this family one will find the following types of snakes on the Mississippi Gulf Coast: Nonvenomous Snakes: Rat snakes: genus, Elaphe King snakes: genus, Lampropeltis Water snakes: genus, Nerodia Garter snakes: genus, Thamnophis Hognose snakes: genus, Heterodon

Venomous Snakes: Coral Snake: Family Elapidae Pit Viper: Family Viperidae

http://www.backyardnature.net/snakclss.htm

Snake Biology

http://www.snaketrapsnaketrapping.com/

www.theplatform.info/ feedcontent/article/15886

Snake Biology: Snakes are ectothermic, meaning they use heat from the environment to regulate their body temperature. Snakes are classified as vertebrates, the same as fish, mammals, birds, and amphibians because they have a backbone. Snakes are very specialized; they do not have legs, ears, or eyelids. Snakes use their forked tongues to smell their surroundings and air particles. Once a scent is detected, the snake inserts its tongue into two small holes on top of the mouth (Jacobson’s organ) where the brain interprets the smell. Most snakes lay eggs; however, some snakes hatch eggs inside their bodies. Copperheads, rattle-snakes, cottonmouths, garter snakes, and water snakes give live birth (hatch eggs inside the body).

Evolution of Snakes: The ancestors of modern snakes and lizards ap-peared with the first dinosaurs during-the Triassic period, approximately 200 million years ago. It is believed that modern snakes (suborder Serpentes) were derived from the lizards in the Cretaceous peri-od, roughly 130 million years ago.

http://chsbiochemjournal09.blogspot.com/2009/07/digestive-

REMEMBER:

Institute for Marine Mammals Studies P.O. Box 207

Gulfport, MS 39502 Phone: 228-896-9182

Fax: 228-896-9183 Email: contactus@imms.org

Website: www.IMMS.org Prepared by

Heather Edwards, 2012

The Institute for Marine Mammals (IMMS) is a non-profit organization established in 1984 for the purposes of public education, conservation and research of marine animals and sea turtles in the wild and under human care. Located in Gulfport, MS, IMMS is the premiere organization in the Mississippi-Louisiana-Alabama sub-region of the Gulf Coast with capability and expertise to care for sick and injured marine mammals and sea turtles. Additionally, IMMS promotes public awareness of marine conservation issues through its involvement in the community. IMMS encourages the public to be good stewards of the environment and continuously work to improve the quality of life on the Gulf Coast.

This brochure is funded with qualified outer continental shelf oil and gas revenues by the Coastal Impact Assistance Pro-gram, United States Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Depart-ment of the Interior through a grant award to the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources.

Venomous Nonvenomous

Characteristics There are more than 2,700 species of snakes in

the world. Of the 2,700 species, 140 live in the United States and 40 species are native to Mis-sissippi. Six of the 40 species are venomous.

Reptiles exist worldwide and can be found in deserts, forests, the world’s ocean, streams, and even lakes. Snakes live on the ground, in trees, and in the water. Snakes cannot survive in places such as the Arctic Circle, at altitudes of approximately 20,000 feet, and Antarctica.

Snakes have between (100-400) vertebrae, for each vertebra snakes have two ribs attached.

Ectothermic They are cold-blooded

Scaly Skin (coat of armor) Scales are used as skin.

Lungs (two lungs) They never have gills.

Jaws are hinged, i.e. the jaws are not fused together.

Most species lay eggs.

Venomous Nonvenomous

Red touches Yellow kill a

fellow. Red

touches Black friend of Jack’s.

Southern Copperhead

Eastern Cottonmouth

Coral Snake

Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake

Scarlet King Snake

Black Pine Snake

Black Rat Snake

Eastern Ribbon Snake

Common Garter

Fun Snake Facts Photo Identification Sheet

Types of Venom: Hemotoxic venom affects the blood and organs, causing a breakdown or inflammation in the body. Hemotoxic bites are the most painful; the muscles con-trolling breathing are paralyzed; and tissue begins to die, i.e., Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake, Copper-heads, and Cottonmouths.

Neurotoxic venom affects the nervous system and the brain. This type venom can cause seizures and may lead to death. Neurotoxic bites are the most deadly, i.e., Coral Snake.

Cytotoxic venom has a localized effect to the bite area. Types of Venomous Snakes: Family Elapidae: The Most Deadly Species in Mississippi: Coral Snake Common Elapidae Species : Cobra, Mamba, Brown, Tiger, and Taipan.

Common traits of the Elapidae snakes are: venom, hollow fixed fangs, long slender bodies, and smooth scales. Most venom of the Elapidae family is fast-acting and can cause paralysis of muscles within minutes.

Family Viperdae: The Most Painful Species in Mississippi: Rattlesnakes, and Copper-heads Common Viperdae Species: Vipers, Adder, Bush-master, Sidewinder.

The effects of a bite from the family, Viperdae, are the most painful due to the cytotoxins immediately de-stroying the tissue. The hemotoxins, in large amounts, can cause internal bleeding and cause excessive blood- clotting, and organ failure. The fangs of a rattlesnake or copperhead snake are hinged, long, and hollow.

Snake Venom

http://globetrooper.com/notes/science-venomous-snake-bites/

Poison:

Poison is a substance that is consumed or absorbed through the skin, resulting in toxicity. Some fish, insects, and am-phibians secrete poisonous substances. Poison is naturally used as a defense tool and is seldom used to impair prey. Venom: Venom is a toxic material that is injected into the body or prey. Snakes are not poisonous; they are ven-omous, because they inject the toxins used for defense or to harm prey. The venom is created in a gland lo-cated in the head of the snake. Venomous snakes have true and false venom glands that are differentiat-ed by the snake based on its usage. A true venomous snake such as the Viperdae can strike without using venom; this is called a warning strike and is often referred to as a dry bite.

http://www.kidzone.ws/lw/snakes/facts03.htm

Venom Verses Poison

http://www.preservevenomous.com/Venom_Vs_Poison/

Dusky Pygmy Rattlesnake