SRO -NERP-1

SNAKES

OF

THE SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT

WITH

INFORMATION ABOUT

SNAKEBITE PREVENTION AND TREATMENT

by

Whit Gibbons

Savannah River Ecology Laboratory

Aiken , South Carolina

A PUBLICATION OF EROA 'S SAVANNAH RIVER NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH PARK

- SEPTEMBER 1977

COPIES MAY BE OBTAINEO FROMSAVANNAH RIVER ECOLOGY

LABORATORY

INTRODUCTION

The present-day emphasis on ecology has brought usto the realization that each plant and animal species hassome role in man's total environment. No matter how in­significant, each species has at least a potential effect onour existence. Snakes not only have an indirect ecologicaleffect , but they may also have a most direct impact onman. The effect may be physiological as a result of poi­sonous snakebite . or it may be psychological as a conse­quence of the almost universal fear and misunderstandingthat people have of snakes. The severity of both the phys­iological and psychological potential can be diminishedwith some knowledge of the ecology and behavior of thesnakes found in one's own geographic region. Snakes areone of the most poorly understood of the major animalgroups.

Although 38 species of snakes occur in South Caro­lina, the general ecology of even the most common is, forthe most part, unknown. This lack of knowledge appliesto the 6 poisonous species as well as to the 32 harmless

62'

vanenes. Furthermore, the consequences of being injectedby snake venom are generally unknown by laymen and,unfortunately, are still poorly understood by scientists andmedical doctors. Therefore, we have a dilemma . In ourstate, we have an important, frequentl y encountered as­sortment of animals, some of which may be highly dan­gerous. Vet we know far less than we should about theirecology or their potenl1al poisonous effects.

The purpose of this booklet is to point out what weknow and what we do not know (but should know) aboutthe snakes of South Carolina with emphasis on those foundon the Savannah River Plant (SRP) (FIG I). Hopefully,sufficient information is given to alleviate unnecessaryfears concerning the many species of nonpoisonous snakes.This booklet should provide the reader with a familiarity,understanding, and even an appreciation of significantfacets of South Carolina wildlife. A second intent is topoint out the necessary steps for avoidance of poisonoussnakebite and to indicate the current medical recommen­dations for emergency treatment should it ever be needed .

60'

N

50 100I I

kilometers ~

, ,62' 60'

-

FIG 1. Location of the Savannah River Plant (SRP) within the state o f South Carolina. Withthe exception of the ex treme northwestern portion, South Carolina Is divisible Into two majorphysiographic regions which aregeologically and herpetologically distinct. One of these, knownas the Piedmont Plateau, includes roughly the northwestern halfof the state. The southeasternhalf o f South Carolinaand all of the SRP fall within the A tlantic Coastal Plain province. Thetransition zone between the two geolog/c provinces is known as the Foil Line. The Fall Lineserves as a faunal boundary between numerous species and subspecies of reptiles and amphibians.For this reason many of the SRP snakes are represented by southern species and subspecies ratherthan the northern ones characteristically found In the piedmont and mountain regions.

- 3 -

CHECKLIST OF SOUTH CAROLINAREPTILES

Snakes , lizards, turtle s, and crocodilians are themajor living representa tives of the class Reptili a, and aredistinct from the other vertebrates - - fishes, amphibians,birds, and mammals. Table I shows all reptile specieswhich are known to occur in South Carolina. Snakes con­stitute more than half of the reptil e species in the state.Common names often vary locally ; consequently, the useof scientific names provides a stability to the nomenclatureand also indicates, in some instances, the degree of related­ness. For example, the canebrake and timber rattlesnakeare only regional variants (or subspecies) of the samespecies (Crotalus horridus] whereas the eastern diamond ­back (Crotalus adaman teus) is an altogether differentspecies. Fur the r, the pygmy rattl esnake belongs to aseparate genus (Sistrurus) and therefore is less closely reolated to other rat tlesnake (Crotalus) than the copperhead(Agkistrodo n contortrix yand cottonmouth (Agkistrodonpiscivorus) are to each other.

Scientific names occasionally change through ad­vancement in our understanding of evolutionary relation­ships and as a result of taxon omic inte rpretations. There­fore , as opinion enters into nomenclatura.l decisions,consistency of names can become a problem. To confusethe issue as littl e as possible, the commo n and scientifi cnames (including subspecies designations) used in thispresentation will be those used by Conant .' This publica­lion is probably the most widely used and up-to-datepublication on reptiles and amphibians of the easternUnited States currently available.

1. R. Conant. A Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians ofEastern and Cen tral North America. 2nd edition. HoughtonMifflin Co., Boston , Massachusetts . (1975).

- 4 -

RECOGNITION OF SOUTH CAROLINASNAKES

Identification is a problem with any group of plantsor animals. However , with snakes the consequences of ~

being wrong can some times be extremely serious. Of thesix venomous species in South Carolina, five OCCur on theSRP and most have look-allkes among the harmless ranks.Among the nonp oisonous forms, some are distinctiveenough in color and pattern to make recognition easy. Butonly thr ough experience, not books, can one learn to makespot identifi cations of most species.

In order to present a comprehensive pictu re of thesnake species in South Carolina, a syst em of classificationis necessary. This can be effectively accomplished by fol­lowing the accepted scientific scheme of family, genus, andspecies, as presen ted in Table 1. A particular snake can beident ified by means of the key in Table 2. Species presenton the SRP are indicated by an asterisk. The intent ofpages 10-19 is to note the commonness or rarity, thegeneral habitat, and the geographic range of each speciesfound in South Carolina.

Classifying a species in regard to its abundance orrarity is an age-old problem that is never resolved with totalsatisfaction. For present purposes, each species will bedesignated on the basis of the scheme indicated below.Subjectivity will creep in to the category assignment ofmany of the species. Thus, a species denoted as "uncommon"may indeed seem to warrant "abu ndant" status to someoneelse merely because of a di fferent exposure through personalfield experiences. ..,

The following terminology will be used in assignmentto abundance categories:

Abundant, Species is seen so frequentl y or can befound with such assurance that the absence of specimensin appropriate seasons and localions would be cause forquestion .

Common. Species is no surprise when encountered,but the absence of specimens in certain locations or forlong periods of time is considered inconsequential.

Uncomm on. Species is noteworthy when found andis usuaHy represented by single specimens .

Rare. Species is seen so seldom that question canusually be raised as to whether sizable populations actuallyexist.

Locally. This term indicates that the species occursin concentratio n pockets with gaps in between ; the abun­dance designation indicates the commonness withinsuchpocket s.

) ) I )TABLE 1. Reptiles of South Carolina. Species found 011 meSn,nn.llh River PI.1ntare indicat ed by ..n ,lI\ luisk. Rhadinaea ttavttata Pine Wood s Snak e

CLASSREPTILIA "Farancta aoacuro abacura Eastern Mud Snake

f ami ly Teiidae• Farand a erytroeram ma Rainbow Snake

Order Crocodifia ~ Crococtttans erytrogr(JmmaFamil y Atti gatoridae - A ll ig,l1or s · Cnemidoph orus sex lineallls Six-Lined ·COIIlMT constrictor priapus Soot:hern Black

snllneatus Racerunner-" /figaror mississippienSIJ American Alligator Racer

Famil y Scinc idae Cotuter constrictor Northe rn BlackOrder Testudines - Turtles »Sctncettetaterate Groun d Skink constrictor Racer

Family Chelvdrfdae "Eumeces tasctatus Five-Lined Skink *M asticoph is fl agellum flagellu m Eastern Coachwhlc

· Chelydro semenura serperuina Snapping T urtle • Eumeces lot/ups Broad-H e.Hied *Opheodry s ae!tivus Rough Green Snake

F.inl1ily Klno sremidae Sklnk "'Elaphe gutlata gutlata Corn Snake

•St ernotherus oaonnus St ink po t · Eum l'ces tnexo ectatus Sou th easte rn Five- "'E/aphe abso/da obsoteta Black Rat Snake

· Klnosternon subrubrum Eastern Mud TurtleLin ed Skin k

Elaphe oosoteta quadrlvlrtata Yellow Ra t Sna kesubrubrum Fam ily Angu ldae

*Pltuoph ls metonateacus Northern Pine SnakeFamily Emydidae · Ophisaurus ventratis Eastern Glass Lizard melanoleucus

"'Clemmy s eat tata Spo tte d Tu rtle · Ophisaurus attenaatus East er n Slend er Pituoph is melanoleueus Florida Pine Snak e

• Terropene carolina caro/ina East ern 8 0 x Turtle longlcaudus GIa \S lizard mugitus

Chrysemys otcta picta East ern Painted Turt leOphlsaurus compressus Islan d Gla s.s. lizard "'Lompropeltls getulus getulus Eas tern Kingsna ke

"'Chry semy s scripta scripta Ye llow-bellied Turt le Su bo rder Serpen tes - Snakes*Lampropeltls tr/angulum Scarlet Kingsna keelapso/des

· Chry semy s concinna eoneinna River Coo ter Famil y Co lubri dae Lampropeltls triangulum Eastern Milk Sn ake-Chry semys floridana ttondana Florida Cooter · Natrlx cyclopio n Flor ida G reen triangulum·Oeiroche/ys reticularia Ch icken Turtle nor/dana Water SnAke

J IAmpropelt/s cal/igmter Mo le Snakeretleu /arlo -Nairlx taxlspl/ota Brown Wat er Snake rhombomoculataMalac/emys terrapin Caro lin a Diam ondback -Narr l" ~rythrogaster Red -Bellied WOl ter "Cemoonoracocctneo copet Northern Scarlet

vr centrata Terrap in erythrogaster Sna ke Snake

Famil y Testud in id ae "Natrtx tasclata knctato BAnded water Snake "Tanttuo coronate Southeastern

Gopherus polyphemus Go phe r Tortoise "'Natrix riglda rlgida Eastern Glossy Sna ke Crowned Snake

Family T rion ychidae Natrlx sip~don pleuralis Midland Wat er Snake 1 Dymarchon corais couper! Eastern Indigo SnAke

..Triony x spin/ferus a~rus Gu lf Ca Ul Spi ny Natn x septemvittata Qu een Snake Family Elap idaeSoft she l1 •Semin atrlx pygatQpa/udis Carolina SWAm p "Micrurus fulv/us fulvius Eastern Cora I Snake

Triony x terox Flo rida Softshell Snake Family Viper idaeFamil y Cheloniidae "Storerto dekay l dekayi No rthern Brown .. Agkistrodon c. comonrix Southern Coppe rhea d

Chelonia mydos mydas Atlantic Green Turtle SnakeAgk istrodon contortrtx Northern Copperhea d

£retmod udys imbricata Atlant ic Haw hbill Slorer/a dekay/ wrightorum Mid land Bro wn mokasen/mbricoto Snake

'*Agklstrodon pisclvorus Eastern Cottonmouth

Caretta caretta caretta Atlant ic Loggerhead »Stoeertoocctpttomocutata Red-Bellied pise/varusocctpttomocutota Snake

t eotdocnetvs kempi Atl antic Rid ley "Sistrurus miJiarius miliarlus Carolina Pygmy· Thamnophls slrtalls sirtalis Eastern Garte r Sna ke Rattlesnake

Family Dermochelvldae· Thamn oph ls saarttus saurttus Eastern Ribbon Snake Sistrurus mtt tartus barbouri Dusky Pygmy RAttle-

Dtrmochelys coriacea At lan tic Leatherbac kThamnophls saorttas sackeni Pentnsu ta Ribbon snake

cortoceaSna ke · Crotalus ho"idus otricouaatos Ca nebrake Rattlesnake

Or der Squamata - Snakes and lizard 'i · Virg/n/o vatertae valeriae East ern EArih Sn ake Crotalus h(lrridus horr/dus Timber Rautesnake

Sub ord er Lacertilia - Lizard \ ' ,Virginia strtatuta Rou gh Eart h Snake Crotalus adamanteus EAste rn Diamo ndbllck

Family Iguanidae "Heteroaon platyrh inos Eastern Hognose Rattlesnake

' Anolis carottnensis Gree n Anole Snak e1. The Tens Horned Llll.rd hilS b",n Introduced in some . ru s of

•Suioporus undu lotus So u the rn rence Lizard · fltlterodon simus So v th l!rn Hogn o!toe SlMlth Cl.rolinl.; P09ull.llo", p",Sh l on Isle of ' ..lm'l.l>d onundulatus Sna ke Sum"l.n', 1$1..1111 _it Chl., lulon. South Cl.rolinl.

Suloporu s undulalus Northern Fence Liz:ard · Diadophis punctat us punctotus So Ulhem Ringnec k 2. The Enlem lndll o Snu.e wu rep...ted in me nrtv 1900's fromhyacinthinus Snake Ch..rlfslon. Soulh C..rollnl. but no recent ~cords el(jlt.

Phrynosoma cornutum I Tex as Ho rned Lizard ) CorphophiS om oenus amoenus Easter n Wor m SnAke 3. Species not reported from SRP but n nll' l'ncompaSH, ,Itt .

TABLE 2. Identificat ion of SRP Snak es

2a. Top of head with many small scales;

Go to 18

Go to 7

.. Go to 23

Go to 6

19Scale Rows

2 120

"~ 19~ IB

17

"

-Most scales d istinctly keeled with ridge down cente r

1

23~ y\{)

Method of co unting scale rows

~\~

6b.

~

4b . Dorsal scale rows 25 at midb ody; basic color brownin specim ens over 18 inches long ; someti mes redd ishwith crossbands in smaller specimens .Eastern cottonmouth (A. piscivorouss - POISONOUS

6a. All scales smooth

5b. Scale rows at midbod y 21 or more

5a. Scale row s at midbod y 15·19 . .

~ .

6

~910~I I

EXAMPLES

23Scale Rows

mtt4tfii4ii4W J

3a. Rat tles (or bu tt on] on tail ; size small, seldom ex­ceed ing 2 ft ; basic co lor gray with dark blotche salong bac k and sides . . . Ca rolina PygmyRaulcyv l(e (5. m iliarius ).

Sb. No rattl es; basic color brown or reddi shGo t04

ratt les may be presen t . . . Go to 3

aa. Dorsal scale rows 23 at midbod y; basic color ligh tbrown or reddish with darke r crossband s alongbody . . . Southern copper head (A. contortrix) ­POI SONOUS

Dorsal scale row s in sna kes ma y vary considerably,depe ndi ng up on the species; to obtain the num berat mid bod y, count as indicate d ; midbod y countsusually result in uneven numbers.

last few inches of tai l velvety black; basic color graywith black, chevron-like bands across back; pink i~h toyellow stripes down cen ter of back. . . Caneb rakeRattlesnake (C ho" idus) - POISONOUS

2b. Top of head with large scales:

rattl es or butt on on tail;

~

TIIIJRTY11 l rLJYIl'YNl2l55l t pi ., )n T n~" nl! ' j'

1b. No pit between eye and nostril ; scales on un dersideof tail in double row . . . Go to 5

Pit vipers (Crotalidae] - PO ISONO US,

la o Pit between eye and nostril (see pho to , p 23); mostscales on un ders ide o f tail in 3 single row

Go to 2

The followin g ta xonomic key is designed to dete r­mine the proper species of a hand-held specimen (dead oralive). To effectively use the key, an individual must befamiliar with the anatomical features of snakes. A wordof cau tion: Variat ion in appe arance occurs among thei lld j \' idu.l~ of all species of anim als: ~akes are no exc eo­lion; therefore, the fo llowing key should be used with theunderstanding that scale characters and color patternsvary to an extent that a small proport ion of indi viduals ofsome species canno t be satisfact orily identified with th ekey. An obvious example of variation that would hinderldentifl catlon is albinism. Alth ough th is phenomeno n isexceedingly rare, any species of snake could have an albinoindividual. Possible variat ions in appea rance will no t bementioned for a species unless they occ ur frequently in

SRP spec imens.

U5C of the Key

A taxonomic key is designed to permit ident ificat ionof an animal by systematic select ion of sets of charac ter­ist ics that fit the part icular specimen . In the following key,the characteristics are presented in num bered couplets .One of the pair (a or b) can be rejected J S not applicableto the specimen whereas the o ther will be.

To use the key, begin with couplet num ber I andselect the descript ion [l a o r lb) which fits the specimen.Then proceed to the nex t couplet , as ind ica ted at the endof the appropriate descr iption . Inst ruct ions for proceedi ngto anot her couplet are indicated at the end of each de­

scrip tion.Fo llow the process of select ion and eliminat ion until

the description is terminated by a species name.

a-

~ l "

'"

)

7a. Bask color solid black or solid light brown above .except for head and neck region in some instance')

Go to 8

7b. Not !>olidly black or brown above; wi th some formof markings on bac k (blo tches, rings, stri pes) o rwith basic color grading from black head to tightbrown tAil . . . Go 10 13

8a. Basic: color light brown; length seldom exceeding1 rt . . . Goto9

8b. Basic color black _ • • Go to 10

9a. Head black; black ring around neck . • . South­eastern Crowned Snake (T. ,oranala)

9b. Body uniform brown above from head to tailSmooth Earth Snake (V. volerioe)

10.1. Shiny black above ; gray btlly;white chin; no redor yellow color on any part of bodyBlack Racer (C, constrictor)

lOb. Black above: belly yellow, orange or redGo to 11

11.1. Dull black above; yellow ring around neck; yellowor orange belly with black spots; length seldo m

exceeding 2 ft . . . Southern Ringneck Snake(D. punctatus)

I Ib. Unifonn black above from snout 10 tail; belly withred or orange Go to 12

1201. Belly solid orange or red ; length seldo m exceed ing18 inches . . . Black Swamp Snake (5. pygoeo)

12b. Belly checkerboard in appearance with alte rnatingbright red and black. . • Eastern Mud Sna ke(F.oboeuro)

')

I3b. Body markings no t including red , ora nge or yellowGo to 16

14.1. Bod y shiny black above with th in red stripes; bellyred , orange or yellow with black spots .Rainbow Snake (F. erytrogrommo)

14b . Bod y with tran sverse band s or rings 0 1 red , blackand yellow or whit e _ . . Go to 15

1501. Bod y rings continuing across be lly, encircling body;nose black . . . Easte rn Co ral Snake(M. lulviu,) - POISONOUS

l Sb. Belly white or gray; nose red . . . Scarlet Sna ke(c. cccctneo}

1601 . Head and front half of bod y velvet y black ; poster io rha lf of body brown . . . Easte rn Coachwbtp(M. flogellum)

16b . Head not black : length usuall y not exceeding18 inches . . . Go to 17

17.1 . Row of dark gray or brown ish blo tches down back;small dar k spot!. on sides and bell y . . . juvenileBlack Racer (c. constrictor )

17b . Light brown or tan above with th in dark crossbands:eyes no ticeably larger th an o ther snakesjuven ile Eastern Coachw hip (M. flagellum)

18.1. Body solid green above: belly yellowGreen Snake (0. aestivus)

18b . Bod y not solid green above . . . Go to 19

19.1. Three light yellow or greenish stripes down centerof back and sides ; belly yellowishGo to 20

)

20.1 . Side stripes con fined to scale rows 3 and 4 on eachside5+-_

11=~,,~

(BELLY)

Lip scales; yellowish without dark markings

~ . . Eastern Ribbon Snake(T. sauritus)

20b. Side str ipes con fined to scale rows 2 and 3; on eachside

Lip scales interspersed by dark markings

~Eastern Gart er Snake (T. sirtalis)

13.1. Body markings including red, orange, or yellowGo to 14

19b. Body black or brow nish above with out yellowstr ipes . . . Go to 21

Go to 27

26a . Rostral scale (a t t ip of nose] d istinctl y pointed o rup turned

29b . Basic patt ern o f blot ching pri marily gray or brown;no "V " on top o f head . . . Black Rat Snak e(E. obsoteta]

3001 . Sca le row s 2 7·3 3; be lly plain wh ite o r vetlow o r withbro wn mar kin gs . . . Go to 31

29a Basic pat tern o f blo tch ing primarily orange and red ;belly black and wh ite checke rbo ard pat tern: lightco lored s tripe.. form a " V" on top o f headCorn Sna ke (E. guttalo)

Go to 28~

"4~

26 b. Ro..tra l sca le ro unded22b. Belly grayish; scale rows 17 . . . Brown Snake

(5. dekoyi)

22.1. Belly dark red ; scale rows 15 . . . Red-bell ied

snake (5. occtpitomocutotet

23<1. All scales smooth ; co lor panem includes yellowrings encircling body . . . Go to 24

21b. Body dark or tight brown above, belly red or light­co lored with ou t stripes; sca le row s 15 or 17

Go to 22

21.1. Body black or dark brown above; belly white orye llowish wit h 2 dark stripes o r rows of dots :scale rows 19 _ . . Glossy WOl ler Snake(N. rigido)

00

23b. Co lor dark or patterned wi th bands or blotches butnot with ye llow crossban ds or rings; some scaleskeeled (weakl y keeled o nly o n side s in some forms). . . Goto 25

24a. Body completely enci rcled b y red , yellow and blackrings; length seldom exceeding 2 ft . • . ScarletKingsnake (L. triangulum)

24b . Bod y shin y blaek with yellow ring.. or crossband s:no red present. . _ Eastern King..nake(L. getuiu,)

2Sa. Bas!c co lor light gray abov e wi th da rk blot ches:head alwavs grayish; entire belly and underside oftail white with no markings . . . Eastern Pine

Snake (Pometonoteucuss

27a . Underside of tai l darker than , or 'lame shade as,belly ; alwa ys patt ern ed above with d ark blot cheson light tan o r brow nish bod y ; len gth seldom ex­ceed ing 18 inches . . . Southern Hognose Sna ke(H. simus)

27b . Underside of tail no t iceabl y ligh ter in co lo r thanbelly; may be patt erned above o r m ay be b lack. .. Eastern Hognose Snake (H. p latyrh ir1os)

2Sa. Scale s along center of back weak ly keeled or smooth;scales feel smooth when rubbed transverse ly .Go to 29

28 b. Scale.. s tro ngly keeled : scales are IIu tk e'dLJl y keeledwhen ru bbed transversely . Go to 30

30 b. Sca le ro ws 23·25; be lly solid red or with ex tensivebrown an d reddish mar kings . . . Go to 32

31a. Basic co lor brown with dar ker brown or black sq ua reson th e bad. and sides; be lly with br own markings

Brown Wate r Snake (N. !(Jxispiloto)

31b. Basic co lo r dark gray o r olive above ; so metimes withlighter mo tt ling bu t no dist inct pa ttern; belly gray oryello wish and unmarked excep t un der tailGreen Water Snak e (N. cvclopion]

32a. Black or dark gray above; solid co lo r wi th no patt ernin adu lts ; da rk blo tches apparent on back.an d sidesof juven iles (Ics.. th an 18 inches in length); bellyusu ally solid orange or pink and alway .. with outmar kings ... Red-bellied Water Snak e(N. erythrDgllster)

25b . Basic co lor pattern s darker than ligh t gray: cartsof underside dark or pa tt erned . . . Go to 26 32b. Series o f reddi sh and brown cros sbands above :

belly ye llow ish with red dish or brown markingsBanded Water Snake (N. FasciOla)

( ( l

) ) )TABLE 3. Quick Identification Characters for SRP Snakes Category Characteristic PossibleSpecies Category Characteristic Possib le Species

Behavior Vibrates tail Northern Pine SnakeThe fo llowing ca tegorization scheme is designed to

Color Solid green RoughGreenSnake when sta rtle d Southern Black Racerallow rapid ident ifica t ion of man y (but no t all) of th e loc al above or disturbed Eastern Coachwhlpsnakes. The detailed taxonomic key in Table 3 and the

Carol ina Swamp SnakeEastern Kingsnake

species accounts in the text should be used to confirm Shiny blackScarlet Kingsnake

speci es identifica t ions . above; no Eastern Mud SnakeCornSnake

mark ings Southe rn Black RacerBlack Rat Snake

Category Characteristic Possible Species Eastern Glossy SnakeEastern Hognose Snake

Red-Bellied SnakeEastern Cottonmouth -

Size Total length Eastern Mud Snake Easte rn Hognose SnakePOISONOUS

exceeds 4 feet Rainbow SnakeSouthern Copperhead -Southern Black Racer Dull black, Black Rat Snake POISONOUSEastern Coachwhip dark gray, or Red-Bellied Snake Carolina Pygmy Rattlesnake-

Eastern Kingsnake dark brown Easte rn Garter Snake POISONOUSCorn Snake above [ob- Florida Green Water Snake Canebrake Rattlesnake - .Black Rat Snake scure pat tern Red-Bellied Water Snake

POISONOUSFlorida Green Water Snake visible on Banded Water SnakeRed-Bellied Water Snake some) Eastern Hognose Snake

Basks or sleeps Southern Black RacerBanded Water Snake Brown Water Snake

on branches Eastern KingsnakeBrown Water Snake Eastern Cottonmouth -

over water Corn SnakeFlorida Pine Snake POISONOUS Black Rat SnakeEastern Cottonmouth -

Eastern Ribbon SnakePOISONOUS Bright yellow Eastern Mud Snake

Eastern Garter SnakeSouthern Copperhead - markings on Eastern Hognose Snake

Rough Green SnakePOISONOUS some portion Rough Green Snake Florida Green Water Snake

Ca.nebrake Rattlesnake - body Scar let KingsnakeRed-Bellied Water Snake

POISONOUS Easter n Ribbon SnakeBanded Water Snake

10 Eastern Garter SnakeBrown Water Snake

Total length (Any of those above) Southern Ringneck SnakeEastern Cottonmouth -

exceeds 2 feet Scarlet Kingsnake Rainbow Snake POISONOUSEastern Ribbon Snake Northern Scar let Snake Southern Copperhead -Eastern Garter Snake Easte rn Kingsnake POISONOUSRough Green Snake Eastern Cor al Snake -Eastern Hognose Snake POISONOUS May bite Southern Black RacerEastern Coral Snake - Caneb rake Rattlesnake- when first Eastern Coachwhip

POISONOUS POISONOUS captured Eastern KingsnakeScarlet Kingsnake

Total length Carolina Swamp Snake Bright red or Caro lina Swamp Snake Corn Snakeless than Eastern Earth Snake ora nge presen t Southe rn Ringneck Snake Black Rat Snake6 inches Southern Ringneck Snake on belly, with Eastern Mud Snake Eastern Glossy Snake(all of these Northern Scarlet Snake or without Rainbow Snake Eastern Ribbon Snakespecies get Southeastern Crowned Snake other mark.ing Scar let Kingsnake Eastern Garter Snakelarger, but Eastern Glossy Snake Red-Bellied Snake Rough Green Snakespecimens Northern Brown Snake Red-Bellied Water Snake Florida Green Water Snakeof other Red-Bellied Snake Banded Water Snake Red-Bellied Water Snakeseectes are Rough Green Snake Eastern Cora l Snake - Banded Water Snakenever th is Scarlet Kingsnake POISONOUS Brown Water Snakesmall) Eastern Hognose Snake Eastern Cottonmouth -

Southern Hognose Snake Light brown or Eastern Earth Snak e POISONOUSCarolina Pygmy Rattles nake - tan above (ex- Southeastern Crowned Snake Southern Copperhead -

POISONOUS eludi ng head Northern Brown Snake POISONOUSEastern Coral Snake and neck Red-Bellied Snake

Carolina Pygmy Rattlesnake -POISONOUS region) with- Easte rn Coach whip POISONOUS

out blotches (juvenile) Canebrake Rattlesnake -POISONOUS

Eastern Coral Snake -POISONOUS

' CAROLINA SWAMP SNAKE - Seminatrix pygaeapaludis

Locally uncommon . This species is presu mably re­stric ted to clean, heav ily vegetate d aquatic areas, cyp ressswamps, and associated habitats. Adults are usually little ~more th an I ft long and are shiny black above with abright red belly. Found in the southern half of the state .

Femal e Carolina Swa mp Snake With Young - Thought to be rareon the SRP. th is species was recen tl y reveale d to be exceptionall yabundant by the captu re of m ore th an 80 individuals in su nkenpitfal l traps around a sm all lake. A varie ty of harm less specie s ofsn akes such as these occu r on the SRP. As a group th ese may bear tificia lly lumped as small, no nbit ing, secre tive, freq uently non­descr ipt spec ies. Such speci es are often locall y abundant althoughthei r commonness may not be apparent . Th e following speciesfall into this grou p:

Carol ina Swamp Snake Southern Ringnec k Snake

FAMILY COLUBRIDAE - ALL NON­POISONOUS

'FLORIDA GREEN WATER SNAKE - Natrix cyclopionfloridana

Locally abundan t. This species is found in mosttypes of aquatic habitats, although freq uently it may betot ally absent from an area. It has been reported to enterbrackish wate r habitats along the coast. It is heavy-bod iedand often more th an 3 ft long; dorsal color is no ndescriptgray or greenish-brown . Found in the southern ~ne·thirdof the state.

' BROWN WATER SNAKE - Natrix taxispilotaLocally abundant. This species is associated with

stream, river, and swamp enviro nments. It often attainsa length over 4 ft; it is light brown dorsally with darke rsquares on back and sides. Found in the sou theasterntwo-thirds of the sta te.

' RED-BELLIED WATER SNAKE - Natrix e. erythrogasterLocally com mon. Th is species is usually associated

with aqua tic environments of all types , but it is occasionallyencountered several hundred feet away from permanentwater. It s back is un iform dull black, dark gray, orbrownish, and it s belly is light red or orange. Found in thesoutheastern two-thirds of th e state.

' BANDED WATER SNAKE - Natrix f fasciataAbun dant. This is th e most ubiquitous species of

Natrix and is found in all aquatic habitats, permanen t ortemporary. It en ters brac kish water areas and salt marshes.II is usually' heavy -bodied and often more th an 3 ft long.li s color is variab le but usually dark brown or reddish withcrossbands. Fou nd in the southeastern half of the sta te .

' GLOSSY WATER SNAKE - Natrix r. rigidaRare. This species is primarily associated with no n­

flowing aquatic habitats. It seldo m reaches a length of 2 ft.II is shiny brown on back, and its belly is light yellow o rwhitish with two dark stripes (or rows of spots). Fou nd inthe southeastern hal f of the state.

MIDLAND WATER SNAKE -s Natrix sipedon pleuralisAbundant. This species is found in most types of

aquatic habitats and is often the on ly species of water snakewhere it occu rs in South Caro lina. It is similar in size andappearance to banded water snake. Found in the north­western half of the state.

QUEEN SNAKE - Natrix septemvittataLocally common. This species is most frequently

associated with running water habitats, particularly smallcreeks. II seldom reaches a length of more than 2 ft. It isbrown on top , and its underside is light yellow with fourdark stri pes . Found in the northwestern half of the sta te .

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Northern Brown Snake

Red -bellied Sn ake

Easte rn Earth Snake

Rough Earth Sna ke

Eastern Worm Snake

Southeastern Crowned Snake

Glossy Water Snake

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"NORTHERN BROWNSNAKE - Storeria d. dekayi andMIDLAND BROWNSNAKE - Storeria d. wrightorum

Locally uncommon to common. This species is foundin a diversity of habitats from moist to dry woodlands toswampy areas if abundant ground cover and litter are avail­able. Populations are frequently encountered in debrts­covered sections of urbanized areas. This species is seldommore than I ft long; its general appearance varies from asoft brown or gray to dark brown; its beUy is much lighterin color. The two subspecies intergrade throughout thestate .

"RED-BELLIED SNAKE - Storeria o. occipitomaculataLocally uncommon. This species is primarily asso­

ciated with moist woodland areas with abundant groundlitte r. It is slender and seldom reaches a length oft ft.Its back is usually solid brown, dark or light, and the beUyis some shade of red. Found throughout the state.

"EASTERN GARTER SNAKE - Thamnophis s. sirtalisUncommon to common. This species is found in a

diversity of habitats that are usually wet or damp, althoughnot necessarily near permanently aquatic areas. It isusually less than 2 ft long but occasionally reaches lengthsgreater than 3 ft . It is distinguished from all other SouthCarolina species except ribbon snakes by the presence of3 yellow stripes down a dark body; its belly is white orlight yellow. Found throughout the state .

"EASTERN RIBBON SNAKE - Thamnophis s. sauritus andPENINSULA RIBBON SNAKE - Thamnophis s, sackeni

Locally uncommon to abundant. Usually found nearaquatic areas, particularly along lake or swamp margins. Itis more slender than the previously described garter snake,but it is otherwise similar in general appearance. T. s. sauritusis found throughout the state except for extreme southerntip where T. s. sackeni is found .

"EASTERN EARTH SNAKE - Virginia v. valeriaeUncommon. This species is usually associated with

deciduous woods or cut-over areas with abundant groundlitter. It is extremely secretive. Seldom reaching lengthsof I ft, specimens are nondescript brown or gray dorsallywith light bellies. Found throughout the state.

ROUGH EARTH SNAKE - Virginia striatulaUncommon. This species is found in woodlands or

areas having abundant ground litter and debris. It is similarin size and general appearance to the eastern earth snakementioned above. Occurs in the southeastern two-thirdsof the state.

"EASTERN HOGNOSE SNAKE - Heterodon platyrhinos. Common. This species is characteristically found in

sandy habitats including abandoned old fields and scrub oakforests . It often reaches 2 ft in length but seldom 3 ft.Color varies from solid, slate-gray with a light belly to allcombinations of yeUow, brown , dull red, or green withgray; the color pattern is highly variable. Found through­out the state.

'SOUTHERN HOGNOSE SNAKE - Heterodon simusUncommon . This species is found in similarhabitats

as eastern hognose: sandy fields and wooded areas. Seldommore than 2 ft long. The color is usually light brown withdarker blotches. Found in the southeastern half of thestate.

"SOUTHERN RlNGNECK SNAKE - Diadophis p.punctatus

Uncommon to common. This species is restricted tomoist, though not aquatic, environments, particularly pineor deciduous woodlands with heavy ground litter. It is ahighly secretive species. Lengths of slightly more than 1 ftare often attained . The dorsal color is dark or slate graywith a yellow ring around the neck; the belly is yellow toorange with row of dark spots. Found throughout thestate with exception of northwestern corner which isoccupied by D. p. edwardsi.

EASTERN WORM SNAKE - Carphophis a. arnoenusUncommon. This highly fossorial species is found

in moist soil with decaying wood or heavy ground litterand is probably restricted to woodlands. Individuals seldomreach lengths of I ft. The back is brown and the bellypinkish . Found throughout the state .

PfNE WOODS SNAKE - Rhadinaea flavilataRare to uncommon. This secretive species is seemingly

restricted to moist wooded areas, particularly in associationwith pine forests having abundant rotting logs and vegetation .Specimens are usually less than I ft long. The body isbrownish with a darker line passing through eye ; the beUyis light in color. Confined to coastal region in South Carolina.

'EASTERN MUD SNAKE - Farancia a. abacuraUncommon. This species is: primarily associated with

swamp systems and is always in the vicinity of aquatic habi ­tats. Individuals are heavy-bodied and often attain lengthsgreater than 4 ft. The back is shiny black or dark gray, andthe belly is checkerboard red and black . Found in thesoutheastern half of the state.

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'RAINBOW SNAKE - Faranciae. erytrogrammaUncommon. This species is foun d in or around

aquatic habitats, particularly in cypress swamps. Specimensare heavy-bod ied and frequently more than 3 or 4 ft long.It is the only South Carolina snake with a shiny black backand red stripes ; the belly is yellow and red with rows ofblack spots. Found in the southeastern half of the state.

'SOUTHERN BLACK RACER - Coluber constrictorpriapus and NORTHERN BLACK RACER - Coluber c.constrictor

Abundant. This species is found in a wide diversityof habitats and is particularly common in abandoned oldfields, pine woods , and hardwood areas. Racers are frequentlyseen crossing highways during daylight hours. Adults areusually slender snakes 3 to 5 ft long and are black Or darkgray all over except for a white chin. C. c. priapus is foundin the southern half of the state ; the northern half of stateis occupied by C. c. constrictor.

'EASTERN COACHWHIP - Masticophis f. flagellumUncommon. This species is primarily associated with

dry, sandy habitats such as abandoned old fields, scrub oakforests, and sand dune areas; it may occur in pine or hard­wood areas on occasion . Adults are slender, but frequen tlyvery long, often 5 to 7 ft. The unique adult color patternis one of grading from black on the head and anteriorportion into a straw-colored tail. Found throughout thestate except for the northwestern port ion.

' ROUGH GREEN SNAKE - Opheodrys aestivusUncommon. This species is associated with thi ckly

vegetated areas having vines, bushes , shrubs, etc., primar ilyarboreal. Adults are very slender and seldom reach lengthsover 2 ft . This is the only "green" snake in South Carolina.The belly is light yellow. Found thro ughout the state .

'CORN SNAKE - Elaphe g. guttataCommon . This species is generally associated with

woodland habitats, including pine and hardwood areas.The usual adult length is 3 to 4 ft . Color pattern consistsof a dorsal colo r of red or orange blot ches and a light bellywith black squares. Found th roughout the state.

'BLACK RAT SNAKE - Elaphe o. obsoleta andYELLOW RAT SNAKE - Elaphe obsoleta quadrivittata

Common. This species is found In wide variety ofhabitats including saltmarshes but is most common inwooded or swamp areas. Adults frequently attain length sof mo re tha n 4 ft. Coastal forms are olive with 4 darkstripes on the back . Inland specimens are light gray orbrown with darker blotches and have a light belly withdark blotches. E. o. quadrivlttata is restr icted to thecoastal zonejE o. obsoleta occurs throughout remainderof state .

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'NORTHERN PINE SNAKE <Pituophis m. melanoleucusand FLORIDA PINE SNAKE -s Pituophis m -.mugitus

Uncommon. This species is restricted to sandy habi­tats whether abandoned old fields, scrub oak, or pine forests .Adults frequently reaeh length s of 4 to 5 ft. The dorsalcolor is whitish or light gray with black blotches: the belly ..."is plain white or gray. This species ranges over entire state;P. m. mugitus is confined to the southern tip .

'EASTERN KINGSNAKE - Lampropeltis g. getulusCommon. This species occurs in a wide variery of

habitats . Although the species is terrestrial, it is often foundin the vicinity of permanent or temporary aquatic areas.Adults usually reach lengths of 3 to 4 ft. The color is blackwith light yellow crossbands; the belly is a combination ofblack and yellow. Found thr oughout the state.

'SCARLET KINGSNAKE - Lampropeltls triangulumelapsoides and NORTHERN MILK SNAKE ­Lampropeltis t. triangulum

Rare. This species is restricted to wooded areas,pine, or hardwood. Adults are usually only slightly morethan I ft long. Red , yellow, and black rings encircle theentire body. The narrow black rings alternate with narrowyellow and wide red rings. The tip of the nose is usuallyred. The species is found throughout the state; L. t. triangulumoccupies the northwestern corner of the state .

MOLE SNAKE - Lampropeltis calligaster rhombomaculataRare. This poorly known, fossorial species is pre­

sumably restricted to areas of soft soil including abandon edor cultivated fields. Adults usually reach 3 ft and are lightbrown or pinkish in dorsal color with darker brown blotches.Presumably found throughout the entire state, bUI is re­ported from scatt ered localities.

'NORTHERN SCARLET SNAKE - Cemophoracoccineacope;

Uncommon. This species is characteristically associatedwith sandy soil habitats including pine woods, scrub oakforests, and abandoned old fields. Adult s are slightly overI ft long but seldom as much as 2 ft . Typ ical specimens havered, yellow (or whitish) , and black rings similar in size andposition to those of scarlet kingsnakes but the rings do notencircle the body . The belly is dull white , and the nose ispointed and always red. Found throughout the entire state .

·SOUTHEASTER." CROWNED SNAKE - Tantillacoronata

Uncomm on. Found in a variety of habitats butmostly in wooded areas with abundant ground litter anddebris. These highly secretive snakes seldom reach I ft inlength . The back is light brown and the front portion ofthe head is black, followed by light brown and black band;the belly is light in color. Found throughout the stale. -

Northern Pine Snake - One of several species of large terrestrial snakes of Sou th Carolina, the northern pine snakepresents a form1dable appearance but is harmless to humans. Most species in this category will bite but, being non­poisonous, their maximum effect is usually no more than a scratch. The following are nonpoisonous SRP speciesthat reach lengths of four feet or more: Southern Black Racer, Eastern Coachwhip, Corn Snake, Black Rat Snake,and Eastern Kingsnake.

TABLE 4. Quick Identification Characters to Determineif a Specimen Belongs to a Poisonous Species

A snake from this region is definitely poisonous if it hasanyone of the following characteristics:

1. Fangs - (Picture p. 23)

2. Rattles or a button.

3. An eilipticai eye pupil

4. A single row of scales on the underside of the tail

5. An opening (pit) on each side between eye andnostril (Picture p. 23)

6. Red, yellow and black rings encircling the body withthe red and yellow rings adjacent

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A specimen cannot be designated as poisonous or harmlesssolely on the basis of anyone of the following character­istics:

1. Visible teeth

2. Vibrating tail when disturbed

3. A round eye pupil

4. A double row of scales on underside of tail

5. Triangular head shape

6. Diamond-shaped patterns on back

FAMILY ELAPIDAE - POISONOUS

"EASTERN CORAL SNAKE - Micrurus f. fulviusRare. This species has been found in association with

a wide variety of terrestrial habitats including woodedareas, fields, and margins of aquatic areas. Adult s are about2 ft in length . Red, yellow, and black rings encircle thebody. The narrow yellow rings alternate with red andblack rings. The front end of the head is always black,followed by wide yellow band . Found through out thesoutheastern half of South Carolina.

Eastern Coral Snake - Rare th rough out South Caro lina , th e coralsnake deserves ment ion on ly because of its un iqueness. As the onlynat ive mem ber of the co bra family east of the Mississipp i Rlver,t his species is, dro p for drop , in a venom class all its o wn. But ,because of small size, inf requent occ urrence. and perhaps eventimidity , the coral snake 's reco rd ha rd ly ran ks with those of otherdange rous sna kes of th e eastern U.S. In fact , du ring a 4 1 yearperiod , no deaths from coral snake bite s were record ed in SouthCarolina (McCollough and Gennaro, 1963) . Yet, th e potentialseriousness o f a bite from thi s species warrants a un iversal warn ingby parents to their ch ild ren never to pick up a snake, no matterhow pretty , in thi s region without an adu lt 's assurance of its safety.

Fewer th an a do zen coral sna kes have been reported from the SRP.One of these was fo und on Road 1·A about 1 mile east of theAdminist ration Area, another came from New Ellen ton, and ath ird came fro m the Aiken bar ricade on SRP Road 2. Because oftheir burrowing habi ts, coral snakes are probably more commo n incertain areas than is apparent.

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,.-.,FAM ILY VIPERIDAE - ALL POISONOUS'SOUTHERN COPPERHEAD - Agkistrodon c. contortrixand NORTHERN COPPERHEAD - Agkistrodon c.mokasen

Uncommon. This species is usually found in wetwooded areas or high ground areas in swamps, although itmay be encountered occasionally in most terrestrial habitats.Adults are generally 2 to 3 ft long. Their general appearanceis light brown or pinkish with darker , saddle-shaped cross­bands. The head is solid brown. This species is foundthroughout state ; the northwestern half of the state isoccupied by A. c. mokasen.

r-

Southern Copperhead- Ccpperne ads have been collected in most habitats o n the SRP includ ing hardwood , swamp fo rest , andmixed pine-hardwood areas. They are primarily terrestrial but are o ften fo und in the vicinity of wa ter. In contrast to cotton­mouths, copperheads have no t been Found In heavy concentr at ion s on the SRP, alth ough they f requently have been in otherregions, particularly in the mou ntains. On lhe SRP. copperheads are usually nocturnal and the majority o f spec imens have bee npicked up on S RP highways at night.

Althou gh less venomous than a similar-sized ratt lesnake o r co tto nmou th, the copperhead is quick to bite once a person moveswi thin striking distance , whe ther inten tio nally or not. Also, the camouflage potential o f a brown and co pper snake coiledamong the leaves of late fall can of ten result in an ou tdoorsman's unwiUing ent ry into the copp erhead's strike range. Needlessto say, if copperheads are know n to be common In an area, the first order o f safet y Is 10 watch carefully what o ne steps o n, sitso n, o r picks up.

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'EASTERN COTTONMOUTH - Agkistrodon p. piscivorusAbundant. This species is found in association with

every type of wet habit at including estuaries, tidal creeks,and salt marshes; although aquatic areas are generally nearby,this species often wanders overland . Adults reach lengthsof 3 to 4 ft and are often heavy-bodied. The color patt ernis variable, but dorsal colors of adults are usually drab brownor olive with darker crossbands; the belly is a combinationof dull yellow and brown, and the underside of tail usuallyblack. Found in the southeastern two-thirds of the state .

Eastern Cottonmouth - Co ttonmo uths are almos t Invariably associa ted with aquatic hab itat s althou gh they may WAnd er severalyards from the water itself. With in the ir hab ita t type this species is unques tionably th e most com mo n venomous species on theSRP and th rougho ut the southeastern ha lf of the sta re, Their swamp-colo r camou flage and sluggish, slew-to-retreat , manner inmany instances make them an easy-to-s tep -upon sna ke fo r the incautious, Co tt onmouths are primarily act ive at night but ,ironically, are mo re likely [0 be step ped on during the day because of the ir habit of co iling inconspicuously almo st anywherein the hab ltat-c-calongside a cy press knee , on a log, in the grass. If d istur bed , the cottonm outh will often stand its grou nd andgive an open-mouthed threat d isplay. Ob viously if the snake is seen, the human tresp asser is well warned of the dang er,

Several nonpo isonous varieties of wate r snakes inhabit the same environments as cottonmouths. Bu t all of them, no matte r howformidable looki ng or how similar in appearance to the cottonmouth. will immed iately retrea t to the water when encountered.Cottonmouths occasionally enter the wate r whe n startled but, in co ntrast to water snakes. will usually swim on th e surfacerather than submerse.

On the SRP. co ttonmout hs occur in heavy co ncent rat ions in many aqua tic locat ion s including the Savan nah River swamp, farmponds, Carolina bays, and the natu ral streams. Th e Par Pond reservoir system present s somethi ng of an en igm.a, how ever, inthat no resident cc nonmou ths have been found in several years of field research dur ing bot h night and da y. Th e answer seemsto be that the abu ndance of alligators and large-mouth bass in the reservo ir assures that the su rvival probabili ty of a fearless,surface swimming snake is exceed ingly low.

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'CAROLINA PYGMY RATILESNAKE - Sistrurus m.miliarius and DUSKY PYGMY RATILESNAKE ­Sistrurus m. barbouri

Uncommon. This species may occur in associationwith wet areas in wooded habitat s or swamps and is oftenencountered in scrub oak -longleaf pine forest habitats orother wooded sites in noncoastal areas. Individuals areheavy-bodied , but usually only slightly more than 1 ft long.The general color is dull gray with dark gray or brownblotches on back and sides; Small rattles occur on the endof the tail. This species is found over entire sta te exceptthe northwestern corner; S. m. barbouri is confined to theextreme southern tip of the state.

Caroti na ' Vi my Rattlesn.ake - Next to the co ral snake the pygm y rattler Is the most infrequentl y seenpoisonuoa s snake on the S RP. Isolated spec imens are occasionally foun d, mostly from mixe d pine­hardw ood areas. Th e small slze dim inishe s the u ltim ate threat o f the se frequ ently ill-tempered snakes,but serious bites have occastonallv bee n reponed . The tiny rattles, prop orti onate ly smaller than thoseo f a yo ung canebra ke, are ineffec tual as a warning signal in m ost instances. The small fangs wou ld notlikel y penetrat e a ty pica l hun ting boot.

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'CANEBRAKE RATILESNAKE - Crotalus horridusatricaudatus and TIMBER RATILESNAKE - Crotalush.horridus

Common. This species occupies a wide diversity ofterrestrial habitats, but is found most frequently in deci­duous forests and high ground in swamps. Heavy-bodiedadults are usually 3 to 4 , and occasionally 5, ft long. Thebasic color is gray with black crossbands which are usuallychevron-shaped . The last few inches of the tail is solidblack with rattles . This species ranges over the entire state;C. h. horridus is found in northwestern one-th ird of thestate.

Canebrake RattJesn;tke - Th e most formid able of the SRP pit-vipers in appearance may indeed be the most docile in be­havior. Canebrake ratt lesnakes of this region do not characteristically ratt le or strike if approached in a slow, easy manner.If restrained , however, can ebrakes will strike at thei r offender if given a ch ance ,and the whirrini rattles of a large one ca nbe heard several yards away.

Large canebrake rat tlers have been encou nte red in almos t every hab itat and in every sec to r of the SRP, Desp ite its ubiquity ,the canebrake rattl er is seldom abundant in a particula r, localize d area at any given time of the yea r. Hibernation denswhe re large numbers co ngregate co nspicuously are rarely found in the nonmounralncus terrain of the So uth Carolina coas talplain. Thus, although the caneb rake rattlesnake is one of the most frequ entl y seen snakes on SRP highways, con ce ntrationsare seldo m fou nd.

Canebrakes are one of the last species to emerge in the spring, with few individuals appearing before May, and one of thelast to cease act ivity in the fa ll. Individuals are frequen tly seen on SRP roads in Oct ob er and occasio nally in November.

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I"""'EASTERN DIAMONDBACK RATTLESNAKE - Crotalusadamanteus

This species is found in both wet and dry terrestrialhabitats including palmett o stands, pine woods, and swampmargins. Adults are frequently 3 to 5 ft long and occasion­ally are more than 6 ft long. The basic color is light todark brown with distinct diamonds of a combination ofbrown and yellow; the tip of the tail is solid black withrattle s. It is found in the southeastern one-third of thestate .

Eastern Diamondback Ratt lesnake - The most impressive o f all Sout h Carolina snakes, the diamondb ack , is prlmarl l v a

coastal region species In the State and has not been fo und on the SRP. The nearest populations may oc cur within 50milesof the SRP'ssouthern border.

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It should be kep t in mind that , although a poisonousspecies may be primarily a night crawler. some individualsdo move around during the day. Also, inactive specimenshave to stay somewhere, even if it is merely coiled besidea log.

Season. The seasonal trends in snake activitypartly reflect temperature, but other factors are apparentlyinvolved also. As far as we know, all species of SouthCarolina snakes are reproductively most active during thespring months of March, April, and May. This mate­seeking period is the one uf greatest activity by most snakespecies, and most species are seen less frequently after thespring peak . But during the summer month s, no matterwhat the weather conditions, there is some possibility inSouth Carolina of encountering any species.

For some species, such as the hognose snakes andcanebrake rattlers, a fall activity peak also occurs, usuallyin September or early October . Occasional specimens areseen on warm days in November , but during December ,January, and February , snake activity is practically non­existent in these areas except for unusually long spells ofwarm weather. A sampling of SRP snakes from roadcaptures indicates seasonal activity patt erns of some species(see FIG 2) .

Time of Day. Many species of snakes have preferen­tial times of activity, whereas others can be found at almostany time of day or night . A few species deserve mentionbecause of their predictabili ty. For example, black racers,coachwhips, and hognose snakes are never active afterdark . They can be categorically classed as strictly diurnal.In contrast, scarlet snakes, and striped water snakes arealmost exclusively nocturnal, usually between sundown andmidnight. Most species are not completely restricted to aparti cular time of day although most of their activity maybe. The following list indicates the daily activity patternsof some SRP species for which information is available.

FACTORS INVOLVED IN POISONOUSSNAKEBITE

A person's chances of receiving a dangerous snake­bite in the United States are rare. But the chance alwaysexists, particularly in Sou th Carolina . Five steps can beidentified which lead to a possibly serious snakebite .Careful consideration of each may be help ful in dispellingmyth and rumor about poisonous snakebite as well as inindicating points at which a person has some control overhis fate . Furthermore, selected sets of facts and statisticsprovide an indicat ion of what an individual's chances ofserious injury or death may be as a consequence of beingbitt en by a poisonous snake in North America.

Step I. Probability of Encounter

Most habit ats in nonurban areas of South Carolinahave at least a few snake species which are commonly seen.lt is a near certainty that people who take frequent tripsto wooded areas, lakes, streams,or rivers during the warmermonths in this state will eventually encounter some speciesof snake.

Many different environmental factors influen ce theactivity levels of different species. Temperature is thesinglemost important factor affecting snakes and mostother reptiles. For this reason, a warm spell in Februarycan result in the appearance of several South Carolinasnake species, whereas a cool period in late April caninhibit their activity. Time of day is also important, al­though the exact relationship with above-ground activityis not clearly understood.

Rainfall probably stimulates act ivity in some situa­tions; however, its influence is difficult to assess, and nohard and fast rule can be set forth . Unfortunately ourlack of knowledge and understanding about the habitsand general ecology of most snake species provides uswith littl e in the way of predictabili ty about how a givenspecies will respond to particular conditions of season,weather, and location. However, a reliable statement canbe made that one has a high chance of ultimately encoun­tering a snake in natural habitats in South Carolina .

The factors discussed in the following paragraphsare known to affect activity of snakes in some situations:

Temperature. Most reptiles, particularly snakes, arerendered helpless as environmental temperatures approachfreezing. Below tempera tures of 50 to 55 'F, most poison­ous snakes, if seen above the ground at all, will be mod­erately inactive . Unfortunately, the rule does no t holdtrue for 100% of the cases. A snake may be warmer thanits surroundings due to basking in the sun or recent emer­gence from warmer-than-air water. But. in a generalsense, cool weather means fewer snakes will appear andthose that do will be less active.

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Activity Period

Primarily late afternoon ,early evening

Primarily daytime

Primarily night time

Species

Canebrake Rattlesnake

Eastern Hognose SnakeSouthern Hognose SnakeSouth ern Black RacerEastern CoachwhipFlorida Pine SnakeEastern Kingsnake

Florida Green Water SnakeEastern Glossy SnakeEastern Mud SnakeCorn SnakeNorth ern Scarlet SnakeEastern Cottonmouth

Rainfall. A heavy rain in some parts of Florida willinvariably bring out numerous snakes, pa rticular ly at night.This phenomenon appa rently does no t occur on the SRP,although it is t rue for salamanders and frogs. Excep t forunde termined subtle effect s, rainfall ha s no apparentdirect effec t on activity of snakes on the SRP and henceon the chances of a person encountering a poisonous snake .

Step II. Probability of the Snake BeingPoisonous

Six of the 38 species of snakes in South Caro lina arepoisonous; however, the different species of bo th typesvary considerably in their commonness o r rarity . Becauseof the high number of uncontrolled variab les involved , nostandard set o f rules can be set fo rth to allow a probabilitystatemen t abou t the chance of a trod-upon snake beingpoison ous or nonp oisonous. For example , as ind icatedabove, season of th e yea r, loca lity within the state , typeof habita t , time of day . and weather con ditions all influencewhat species of snake is likely to be encountered. Some

Blo ek RacerColuber constric tor

Scorl et Sna keCemophora coccinea

CopperheodAgki sfrodon conlorfrix

CoachwhipMas /i eop/us flagellum

Canebrake Ratt lesnakecroratos oorriaus

Eastern Gorter SnakeThamnophis sir l a/is

Corn SnokeElophe (Jul lolO

Banded Water SnakeNolrix fascialo

Cottonmouth MoccasinAglcisfrodon piscivor

facts which may indi cat e relative abundance, however, arethe prop ortion of species in preserved scientific collectionswithin the sta te as well as selected sets of data from studieson SRP. Both, unfortunately, suffer from certain biasesbecause rare or othe rwise inte resting species (such as rattl e­snakes) are more likely to be noted and collected , whereascom mon forms such as black racers or wat er snakes maynot be as noteworthy and as well represented as theyactually are in nature.

One indicatio n of commonness is information basedon systematic road cruises conducted at the SRP. In twostudies of th is type (one in 1965 and one in 1976) , a rou tewas selected which passed through all of the repre sentativehabit ats o f the area. The route was pat rolled th rough ou tthe active seaso n, at all times of the day and night, andunder different wea ther conditions . Alth ough biased incertain regards, these censuses ind icate the presence andrelati ve abundance of species which frequently t ravel over­land. The findings from th e two studies are indicated inFIG 2.

BASED ON A TOTALOF 193 SNAKES

o 5 10 15 20

PERCENT

25

FIG 2. Relati ve abundance of snakes collected crosSi? highways of the Savannah River Piantby Duever" in 1965 (N = 110; black bars) and by Buie in 1976 (N =83,- open bars). Samplingof th is type tends to emphasize the presence of large, active species that are likely to move longdistances.

* M. J. Duever. "Distribu tion in space and tim e of reptiles on the Savannah River Plant inSouth Carolina." Unpub l. M. S. Thesis, University of Georgia, A thens, Georgia (1976).

t D. Buie and I. L. Brisbin, Jr. "Baseline studies of selected vertebrates of the Savannah RiverPlant." In Preparation.

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Step I". Probability of Being Bitten by aPoisonous Snake After Encounter

Many snakebites occur after an individual has seenthe snake that will ultimately bite him and while the accidentcan still be avoided. So, a first step in dealing with a snakein any capacity is to treat it as poisonous until you have aconfirmed identification . If you are not absolutely positiveof the species, let it alone completely. Killing a snake in anuninhabited area does little to reduce the snake populationsize and only increases a person's chances of being bitten.Many snakebites result from a lack of respect for a smallsnake which may be encountered. Frequently the victimsare children . But many are adults who pick up specimensbecause they think they know how to do so without beingbitten. Some snakebites occur from snakes which werethought to be dead or nonpoisonous and were picked upby unwary persons. The possibilities of accidentally beingbitten by an unseen snake are very real, but to be bittenafter you have seen the animal is inexcusable . All indica­tions are that a thinking adult has a minimal chance of beingbitten by a poisonous snake in South Carolina.

Step IV. Probability of the Bite BeingDangerous

One of the least predictable features of poisonoussnakebite is the seriousness of a bite immediately after thevictim is struck. Table 5 shows the range of variability ineffects which have been reported for actual cases of poi­sonous snakebite. The first category indicates that one-

fourth of the venomous snakebites are, for all practicalpurposes , harmless! They cause absolutely no medicallytreatable effects! In fact, approximately 2/3 of the snake­bite victims in North America show little or no effect frombeing bitten . At the other end of the spectrum, however,greater than 10% of the cases could result in serious con­sequences, suchas loss of feeling in a limb , amputation, oreven death if proper treatment is not administered . Afterbeing bitten, however, one does not know how serious thebite actually is. An encouraging fact is that in recent yearsfewer than I in 500 people bitten in this country haveactually died from poisonous snakebites.

Some variables are more dependable than others inestimating an individual's probability of having received aserious bite. Obviously, a large diamondback is to be morefeared than a small copperhead since no deaths from thecopperhead have been recorded in the United States in thelast 25 years. But, suppose the rattlesnake had recentlykilled two rabbits for a meal so that its venom supply wasgreatly reduced. Or, if only one fang penetrated the skin,the venom dose would be only one-half. On the other hand,if a copperhead sunk both fangs right in the center of amajor artery, the effects might be immediate and severe.Unfortunately , we seldom have information of this typewhen the snake bites his victim. Furthermore, a person isnot likely to have a firm knowledge of his own physiologicalcondition in terms of his body's response to an injection ofvenom. Uncertainties such as these always leave the serious­ness of the bite in doubt .

TABLE 5. An indication of the probability of a South Carolina snakebite being serious is given below.A collection of more than 1300 case histories from mostly southern states reveals that the majority ofpit-viper bites result in minimal or no effect to the victim. '"

Level ofVenenation(introductionof venominto body)

None

Slight

Moderate

Severe

Symptoms

Fang marks, but little orno pain

Slight swelling and pain

Pain, swelling, possiblenausea, symptoms ofshock

Increased intensity ofpain, swelling, and othersvrnptorns: possible un­consciousness in laterstages

Recommended MedicalTreatment

None

Minimal; usually no anti-veninrequired

Medical attention necessarywith administration of anti­venin

Medical attention essential;high levels of anti-venin

Percentageof Sample

25

38

22

14

* Table adapted from (1) H. M. Parrish , J. C. Goldner, and S. I. Silberg, 1966. Poisonous snakebites causing novenenation. Postgraduate Medicine 39 (3): 265-269 and from (2) L. H. S. Van Mierop, 1976. Poisonoussnakebite: A review. 2. Symptomatology and treatment.

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Pit Viper Head - The head of a caneb rake rattlesnake is used todemonstrate the mechanism by which venom is adminis tered to avictim. Poison glands (A) are located on ei ther side of the head.On a large rattlesnake these may contain several cc of venom at

,....." anyone time . As a result of the impact and pressure from bit inga victim, poison is forced from the sacs through venom ducts (B)into the hollow fangs (f ). An opening (G) in the t ip of the fangsallows the system to operate In the same man ner as a hypoder micsyringe. The dotted line (H) indicates the position of the movable

fangs when the mouth is closed . Plt-vlpers usuallv have a series ofreplacement fangs which move Into position, one at a time oneither side, if a fang is damaged or removed. In contrast. the fangsof coral snakes are considerably smaller and more or less permanentlyfixed In posit ion in the f ront of the mouth.

The heat-sensitive " pit .. (0) of a pi t-viper is located slightly belowa line drawn from eye (E) to nost ril (C).

Step V. Probability of Receiving ImproperTreatment

The treatment of poisonous snakebi te is one of themajor determinants of the ultimate seriousness. Impropertreatment of the bite of a small pit-viper can easily lead tomore serious medical complications than unde rt reatmentof the bite of a moderate sized one . The issue of propertreatment is debated among physicians and not likely 10

be resolved here . However, some medical facts makecerta in recommenda tions appear reasonably unquest ionable .Most medica l authorities agree categorically on the follow­ing points:

DO NOT DO THE fOLLOWING:

Do not drink or eat anything. including alcoholicbeverages, stim ulan ts, or medicine!

Do not run or unnecessarily exe rt oneself physically !

DO THE fOLLOWING :

Do get the victim to a hospital o r local medical doctoras expeditiously as possible!

f rom th is point on. what constitute s proper first-aid andmedical treatment is not agreed upon by different medicalauthori ties with snakebite experience.

The following aspects of poisonous snakebite t reat­ment must be considered, particularly by the victim whomust make a decision about what to do: Incision andsuc tion, use of constriction band , art ificial cooling, use ofanti-venin in the field .

Each of these can be best assessed through the cost!benefi t mode l indicated in Table 6.

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TABLE 6. Cost/Benefit Comparison of Controversial First-Aid Treatments' for North American Poisonous Snakebites

Recommendations

N...

First-Aid Treatment

Incision and suction

Constriction band

Cooling

Anti-veninadministration(self-adrninisteredin field withoutmedical guidance)

Possible Benefits

Removal of veno m

Retards movementof poison th roughbody

Reduces pain andswelling: neutralizessome poisons: retardsmovement of poisonthrough body

Neutralizes poison

Possible Cost

Infection, excessivebleeding, cutti ng ofcritical vein, artery,nerve) or tcndon

Concentrates poison inunfavorabl e local area:restriction of norm alcirculation

Concentrates poison inunfavorabl e local area:cell damage fro m continuedlow temperatures

Infection ; ant i-phy lact icshock: other reactions

Professional MedicalAssistance AvailableWithin I Hour

No action

No action

No act ion

No act ion

Victim to be IsolatedFrom MedIcal ServicesFor Extended Time Period

Careful cutt ing with ste rileblade in vicin ity of bite withinminute s afte r being bitten :begin sterile suct ion immediatel yfor up to 1/2 hour

light constrictio n frequ entlyremoved

limited use to lessen pain

Careful admin istrati on und ersterile conditions

(l i

* What constitutes proper first-aid treatme nt of snakebite is a highly co ntroversial subject of debate among physic Ians. One reason that a clear, unequivocalmedica l statement cannot be made is that the effects of the bite can be so variable (see Table 5). The above recomrnend atfoos are based on the impact thatan "average" snakebite wo uld have on a health y individual.

( ,

Children Must be Tau.ht Snake Safety - Many snakes are harmlessand can even be enjoyed as pets in some instances,

but • • .In Sout h Carolina any chance enco unter may be a dangerous one. Childrenshou ld be taught never to pick up a chanced-upon snak e, no matter where(backy ard , old field , or swamp) or how certain the y are of what kind it is.The co nsequences o f a mist ake are too great in South Carolina

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USEFUL REFERENCES

Specialty journals in herpetology occasionally haveparticular articles pertinent to a region , although these aredesigned for the professional or serious amateur. A varietyof general refe rences are available which may be appealingto someone interested in an extensiveunderstanding ofthe snakes of South Carolina. Selected references are in­dicated below:

Professional Journals in Herpetology - United States

Copeia

Journal ofHerpetology

Herpet ologica

Regional Books

R. H. Mount. The Reptiles and Amphibians ofAlabama. Auburn Printing Co. , Auburn, Alabama.(1975).

B. S. Martof', Amphibians and Reptiles of Georgia.University of Georgia Press, Athens, Georgia. (1956) .

W. M. Palme r. Poisonous Snakes of No rth Carolina.State Museum of Natural History, Raleigh , NorthCarolina. ( 1974).

R. Sinclair, W. Hon , and R. B. Ferguson. Amphibiansand Reptiles of Tennessee. Tennessee Game and FishCommission, Nashville. Tenne ssee. (1965).

General

R. Conant. A Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibiansof Eastern and Central No rth America. HoughtonMifflin Company, Boston , Massachusetts. (197 5).

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Support for herpetological field research and formanu script prepa ration was provided by Contract .....,E(38-1)-819 between the Energy Research and Develop­ment Admini stra tion and the University of Georgia. Thefoundation of ecologica l information of snakes of theSavannah River Plant is attributable to more than a scoreof individual s, mostly students and technicians at theSavannah River Ecology Laboratory , who have added toour regional knowledge by the collection of more than2000 snakes over the past nine years . I am grate ful to allof them for sharing with me their informalion of localherpetofauna .

I thank Dr. Rebec ca R. Shari tz of SREL and memb ersof the SRP Reproduction Services for photographs. Ms. JeanColeman made the drawings .

Dr. Sterling Williamson, Assistant Professor of ClinicalOrthopaedics, Eastern Virginia Medical School , who is alsoClinical Consultant for Poison -Dex in the southeasternUnited States, contributed to this effort by making theauthor aware of the serious medical controversies surround­ing poisonous snakebite treatment and by critically reviewingthe manuscript. His collaboration is greatly appreciated.

I thank each of the following individuals for review­ing the manuscript within the framewo rk of his ownexperience with herpetology: Dr. Roger Conant, Dr. DavidH. Nelson , Dr. Rebecca R. Shantz, Mr. Keith Dean ,Ms. Karen K. Patterson , Ms. Judith L. Greene , andMs. E. Janell Gregory.

Special thanks go to Ms. Gregory for extensive typin g,and edit orial assistance durin g preparation of the manuscript.Thanks are also given to Ms. Tanya Langley fo r editing thefinal version and to Ms. Mary Holley for typing the finalbrochure.

,....