How can you tell a venomous snake from a non-venomous snake?

Question

How can you tell a venomous snake from a non-venomous snake?

Answer 1

look at teh shape of the head (mostly) if its a triangle stay away from it becouse it is venomus but you also have to watch out for certian others

Answer 2

There isn't a general trait that you can tell them apart with. But if you know the particular type of snake, then you should know which are venomous and which are not.

Answer 3

non venomas snake has round puples and the venomas has ovol shaped puples

Answer 4

you'll find out after you got bit by one

Answer 5

The easiest way to know if a snake is venomous or not is by looking into its mouth to check for fangs. But that's kinda hard to do.

Looking without being intrusive, you'd have to know the snake species to know if it is venomous or not. To help, all sea snakes are highly venomous. You can tell sea snakes from their flattened oar-like tails, and they live in the sea. Vipers (including rattlers) are all venomous. You can tell by their triangular-shaped head. Those are the easier ones.

Snakes that are more difficult to tell are those from the families Colubridae (such as cat-snakes, whipsnakes, boomslangs, Asian keelbacks) and Elapidae (all members of the family such as mambas, taipans, cobras, just to name a few). These are snakes you should be familiar with, depending on where you live. If you are not sure, always treat a snake as if it is venomous.

Answer 6

remember this most of the time the bigger the snake the less chances its venomous

Nonvenomous snakes usually have a round pupil in the eye. This isn't a very good way to find out, though, since it is very hard to tell if they do or not without getting dangerously close.

Nonvenomous snakes usually(In the U.S.) have only one color. This is only most of the time so if you see a snake that is one color, don't go running up to it! Just check for other ways you can tell.

Understand venomous snakes in the U.S. (except for the coral snake) have an elliptical pupil like a cat's eye. It looks like a small slit in the middle of the eye.

Look to see if the snake has stripes all the way from head to tail, it's probably a nonvenomous snake.

Nonvenomous snakes have a spoon-shaped round head and venomous snakes will have a flat head.

Notice to see if the snake has a rattle on its tail, as it is a rattlesnake, and therefore venomous. However, some nonvenomous snakes do rattle their tails, but lack the rattle "buttons" that sound like little salt shakers.

Understand that venomous snake will have a small depression between the eye and the nostril. This is called a pit, which is used to sense heat in their prey.

Snakes can make it very tricky to tell the difference, so watch out!

To tell the difference between a venomous water moccasin/cottonmouth and a harmless water snake: Is it swimming with mainly its head above water, or is most of the body floating too? If just the head is showing, it is most likely a harmless water snake, but if the body is showing too, it could be a water moccasin. Either way, leave it alone and it will leave the area.  

Answer 7

There is no way to tell simply from snake characteristics unless you know the snake species and what to look for. You'll have to acquaint yourself with poisonous snakes and what their bodies look like to know. Google "snakes" to find out more.

Answer 8

let it bite you

if you start feeling like your DYING i'd go with venomous

otherwise nonvenomous

lawl

Answer 9

Knowing where you live would really help me answer this question. The other answers Ive seen here are all guesses and generalizations.

There are non-venomous snakes with slit pupils and there are venomous snakes with round pupils.

There are non venomous snakes with triangular shaped heads and there are venomous snakes with straight heads.

Many non venomous snakes vibrate their tails and in the right conditions it sounds very much like a rattle. Some rattlesnakes rattles are so small, that you can barely hear them and they dont sound very rattle-like. There are plenty of venomous snakes with no rattle. Also rattles can come off the snake and with only one button, a rattlesnake is unable to rattle.

Answer 10

There is no way to tell unless you know the snake types. Well unless you  do that jar technique where the snake bites the jar and the venom drips in it

Answer 11

look on google for venomous and non venomous snakes, it will give you all the info you need.. have fun

Answer 12

let it bite you and if you dont die then you know its not venomous.

Answer 13

the venom is produced in glands on the sides up near the head - it's unmistakable.  

Answer 14

let one bite you , and  if your not dead in 5 minutes , its the other one  

Answer 15

It depends, bright colors are usually a given that a snake is poisonous. Also all water snakes and rattlers are poisonous

Answer 16

Venomous: mostly depend where you live.

Bright colors: venomous

big heads: most likely venomous

warning signs or sounds: most likely venomous

warning to you: leave snakes be

buy them only at the pet store!!!!

Answer 17

There is no 100% accurate way of telling a venomous snake from a non-venomous one except to know what species you are looking at. The shape of the head or pupil and the colour of the snake are not diagnostic. Vipers and pit vipers often have triangular heads, showing the large venom glands, but other venomous snakes have heads barely distinguishable from the neck - kraits are an example. Pupil shape is dependant on the level of light, not on whether or not the snake is venomous - in bright light, or when the snake is sleeping, the pupil will narrow to a slit, whilst in dim light it will expand to a circle. Some harmless snakes mimic the bright colours of certain venomous species - for example, the non-venomous milk snake mimics the venomous coral snake in having bands of red, yellow and black along its body. These particular species can be told apart using the rhyme: 'Red to black, venom lack. Red to yellow kills a fellow,' but this only applies in North America - use it elsewhere and you may end up dead.

Answer 18

id get myself bitten and then if i die,

totally venomous.

if not,

then congrats.

Answer 19

It's usually best to stay away from all snakes, but if you are very interested in them it's good to be able to tell if they are venomous or not. If you see only one or some of the characteristics venomous snakes have stay away from them.

steps:

Nonvenomous snakes usually have a round pupil in the eye. This isn't a very good way to find out, though, since it is very hard to tell if they do or not without getting dangerously close.

Nonvenomous snakes usually(In the U.S.) have only one color. This is only most of the time so if you see a snake that is one color, don't go running up to it! Just check for other ways you can tell.

Understand venomous snakes in the U.S. (except for the coral snake) have an elliptical pupil like a cat's eye. It looks like a small slit in the middle of the eye.

Look to see if the snake has stripes all the way from head to tail, it's probably a nonvenomous snake.

Nonvenomous snakes have a spoon-shaped round head and venomous snakes will have a flat head.

Notice to see if the snake has a rattle on its tail, as it is a rattlesnake, and therefore venomous. However, some nonvenomous snakes do rattle their tails, but lack the rattle "buttons" that sound like little salt shakers.

Understand that venomous snake will have a small depression between the eye and the nostril. This is called a pit, which is used to sense heat in their prey.

Snakes can make it very tricky to tell the difference, so watch out!

To tell the difference between a venomous water moccasin/cottonmouth and a harmless water snake: Is it swimming with mainly its head above water, or is most of the body floating too? If just the head is showing, it is most likely a harmless water snake, but if the body is showing too, it could be a water moccasin. Either way, leave it alone and it will leave the area.

whoa! a same answer above

Answer 20

If you get bit and almost die - it was venomous.  

Answer 21

red to black

ur all right jack

red to yellow

ur a dead fellow

haha wow  just stay away from them

Answer 22

A bite from a venomous snake is usually poisonous, but a bite from a non-venomous snake usually is not poisonous.  

Answer 23

you cant

unless you learn each known type

or let it bite you

better to just run away...

Answer 24

every snake has venom but some are not deadly some of the deadly snakes are cobras, rattle snakes,    *  Black-Tailed Rattlesnake

  * Canebrake Rattlesnake * Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake  *Massasauga Rattlesnake

    * Mojave Rattlesnake

    * Pacific Rattlesnake

    * Pigmy Rattlesnake

    * Prairie Rattlesnake

    * Sidewinders

    * Speckled Rattlesnake

    * Timber Rattlesnake

    * Western Diamond Back Rattlesnake

these are all deadly but u have to remember they r all have poison but some r not dangerous

Answer 25

I'd start by leaning what the venomous snakes look like...