Know Your Snakes … by Linda Hobbs
It’s springtime again, and snakes are stirring from their winter nap. When you encounter a snake, it’s important to know the difference between venomous and non-venomous species. A key tip to remember is non-poisonous snakes usually have round pupils and poisonous snakes have vertical, cat-like pupils.
Chances are, when you encounter a snake, it will be one of the three most common species in the region, garter, gopher or prairie rattlesnakes.
The Big Three: Garter, Gopher and Rattler
The common garter snake gets its name from its resemblance to garters once used to hold up stockings. It is usually gray or brown, with pale yellow stripes along its body. These snakes can grow up to two or three feet long. Unlike rattlers, they have round pupils.
The common garter snake
Garter snakes eat worms, bugs and slugs, and are a garden helper, keeping down the pest population. Larger garter snakes eat frogs, rodents, birds and fish. Garter snakes give birth to live young.
Garter snakes are a tasty treat to many predators, and their first defense is to try to escape. However, they may bite if you try to pick them up. The bite may risk infection if not cleaned properly.
The common garter snake is found close to water, in wetlands and gardens.
Gopher snakes (or bull snakes) are found in warm, dry habitats. They can be tan to gray and have dark brown, black or sometimes reddish blotching with black bands on the tail. They can grow up to three or four feet in length.
The gopher (or bull) snake
When disturbed, gopher snakes will mimic a rattler, hissing loudly, coiling and striking. Gopher snakes vibrate the tip of their tail against the ground to make a rattling noise, but it’s all a bluff. Gopher snakes are constrictors and kill prey by squeezing them. They have no fangs or poison, although again, their bite can break the skin and risk infection.
It is best never to pick up any wild snake, risking injury not only to yourself, but possibly crushing the snake’s internal organs or breaking its bones.
Prairie rattlesnakes are mostly known for the rattles on their tails and their large fangs. They can be tan, pinkish or brown, with rows of large, dark blotches along their backs, and smaller rows along their sides. Prairie rattlesnakes can grow from three to five feet long. Their bodies are thick and powerful, with a wide, triangle-shaped head atop a slender neck. Rattlers have slit-shaped pupils.
The prairie rattlesnake
They don’t rattle their tail against the ground like a bull snake, but hold it high as a clear warning to back off.
Prairie rattlesnakes feed from April through October. They eat rodents such as mice, rats and prairie dogs. Birds, lizards, frogs and toads are also on the menu.
They mate in late summer, and baby snakes arrive in fall. The females give birth to live young. The newborns are 6 to 12 inches long, with full venom glands.
If you are bitten by a rattlesnake, it is best to call 911 immediately and follow their instructions. Disturbing or cutting the wound is dangerous, and should be avoided.
If you find a snake in your yard, and you’re not sure what kind it is – or maybe you just don’t like snakes – the Colorado Division of Wildlife advises you should back away and call the police, who will put you in contact with someone to come get the snake.
i have a gopher snake in my backyard where my dogs go is it safe to keep them out there where the snake is
The City of Fountain Fire Dept. does provide free snake removal services, if you live within city limits. Gopher snakes are not venomous, but they do bite, which can lead to infection. Next thing you know, you’re at the vet having a nasty abscess cleaned up. Best to have the snake humanely relocated to a wild environment. Thanks for posting!