Venomous? Nonvenomous? Whats the difference?

I think it is important for people to know the difference between a venomous and non-venomous snake. So here are some basic facts. This is what I was taught while working at The Brazos valley Museum of Natural History in Bryan.

1) Snakes aren't poisonous they are venomous. There is a difference and it is in the definition.

A poison is absorbed through the skin or ingested

A venom is injected.

So if the a snake injects a poison in to your skin through a bite it is venomous.

2) A nonvenomous snake can still bite you.

It may not be deadly but a nonvenomous snake still has teeth. ANYTHING WITH TEETH CAN BITE YOU!

3) Venomous snakes and non venomous snake (in Texas at least) differ in 4 ways.

• eye shape 
• head shape
• bite patten
• venomous snakes leave 2 bite marks 
• non venomous snakes leave a round bite mark with many teeth
• anal plates

Here is great identification chart from Maryland Department of Natural Resources Website (http://www.dnr.state.md.us/wildlife/Plants_Wildlife/vsnakes.asp) that demonstrates these differences:

non-venomous snake

1. Round pupils
2. No sensing pit
3. Head slightly wider than neck
4. Divided anal plate
5. Double row of scales on the underside of the tail
   
   
   The Indigo is an excellent example of these rules
   
   
   
   The Nonvenomous East Indigo Snake has a round head with round eyes
   
   
   
   

venomous snake

1. Elliptical pupils (like a cat)
2. Sensing pit between eye and nostril (pit vipers)
3. Head is triangular and is much wider than neck
4. Single anal plate
5. Single scales on the underside of the tail
   
   

  *In Texas we have an exception to these rules with the Coral snake. The coral snake has a round head with round pupils but IS venomous. It can be mistaken for a young corn snake if you don't know the difference in color, At the museum I teach the kids a simple rhyme:

Red on Black, friend of Jack

corn snake (nonvenomous) 

Red on yellow, KILL a fellow

coral snake (venomous)

But remember when you find a snake out in the wild (whether its venomous or non venomous) don't touch or kill it. Just leave it be. Snakes are a natural  form pest control and good to have around. If its in your house please call pest control.

Footage of a Blue Indigo

Hey guys!
Zoo America North American Wild life Park at some point featured the Indigo as its animal of the month.This video has some great footage of an indigo snake. It gives you a good idea of its size, movement, and habits.
Enjoy.

Herpatology Walk Stop # 15 Belongs to the Indigo

University of Georgia's research unit, Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, has made virtual herparology walk. Stop 15 located in Big Cypress National Preserve, feature the Indigo snake as its featured herp!

According to this article this spieces populations have been dramatically affected by two threats: habitat loss and unsustainable use. The key to its survival  is preservation of a healthy pine forest ecosystem. For this to occur two other species must be maintained as well: the red-cockaded woodpecker and the gopher tortoise.

Everything in a healthy ecosytem relies on the complicated relationships between all organisms livinging in it. In this case the Indigo snake in the winter lives exclusivly in the gopher tortoise's burrow. If the tortise isn't around to make a burrow where does this leave the snake?

This article talks about its threatedned status:
http://www.uga.edu/srelherp/SPARC/trip15.htm

Here is link to a Indigo snake fact sheet
http://www.uga.edu/srelherp/SPARC/PDFs/indigo.pdf

Why did I choose to blog about this animal?

I used to be afraid of snakes. My idea of their general behavior was lot of hissing, striking, a strangle hold on your arm or worse musking on it! If you have never been around a nervous snake musking is a liquid that stinks, think skunk but less spray.

What I didn't know was that this behavior is common is snakes that are not handled often. I discovered my fondness for snakes while working at the Brazos Valley Museum of Natural History when I was 18. Lots of the interns and regular staff would walk around with a snake around their neck, in their belt loops, and sometimes hidden in there hair! Needless to say I was captivated. I had never seen snakes treated so candidly without the warning of "watch out he bites ". This is not to say the potential for a bite wasn't there, or to treat a snake with anything but caution (like you would any animal with teeth). These snakes were deliberately kept out often so that they were easy to handle for children's programs.

Maria (the educational coordinator) often told me that snakes forget how to act in public if they are not handled often, and would revert to instinct if left alone for too long. Thus began my admiration of snakes. Soon I was handling them with out fear and letting them crawl in MY hair.


(This is a picture of me with Jack, a speckled kingsnake, one of the first snakes I ever handled).

While looking at the U.S. Wild life and Fisheries list of threatened and endangered reptiles I came across the the Eastern Indigo snake. I'd never heard of it so I Googled some pictures and was fascinated thus this blog was born!


Here is a link to the Wildlife and Fisheries profile of the Eastern Indigo.

http://shsuonline.net/re/DotNextLaunch.asp?courseid=4999122&userid=9542189&sessionid=491570b9c6&tabid=qDy3lHUPg4yw8HzGE+SNxDsh8QQltZyvFobj9CTkQYFb7E5QGgy7+AbwPddWY+9UAT1CNktSSYZrx3+Azx8Vfg==&sessionFirstAuthStore=true&macid=yGVtzPq81sBuE5Ire4FQF1otD8svEDK4evF/zYgY6O8oUSfwC2gjFOykxOqLKmRwAHBGf2ISCrdnpaCtzVtvHgbVsPTwm+/NO26twBbcfurxUWyRMljk9dxv3qWIS+qFjbH5r11GNIhulojTZmrXpJOZpw7JBKRvJyePzUNv6ZQnZNPXfTCipqcShRdacVoijqiwOY8bwfcmorlT+sR5W3X+b/RxWpDnEfBGZqgBG6vYjXLc2So+XU4QB1XT6E7T