How do you know if a snake is poisonous?

Question

I see a lot of garden snakes in my backyard. I don't think they are poisonous, but how can you tell if a snake is poisonous?

Answer 1

It's impossible to answer this without knowing where you live.

Some of the deadliest snakes are innocent looking garden 'vine' type snakes who lack the wide head rule, etc.

If ya live in Australia?  They are ALL suspect.  lol

Google snakes pertinent to your local area, and be informed.

Best rule of thumb is to stomp yer feet before walking.  Snakes don't hear, but they do feel vibrations, and will avoid or warn you before a strike.

If you're walking down a row of tiered veggies - use a stick about 3 ft. long, and tap to either side, before you progress.  You may never even see the snake, but it will move along.

Safe and wary is best, if you live in a region of many venonmous animals.

If you live in the states, and SEE the reptile before it sees you, it will most likely have a large triangle shaped head, thin neck, and fat body, if it's a danger.  The 'face' will be rough looking, and a pit will be between the eye and nostril.

Most smoothed scaled snakes with a head the size of their body are harmless.  Resort to Audibon guides for your area, or google the creatures, to be sure.

Don't dash around killing helpless and harmless water snakes... they are guilty of having a heavy body, wide head, and thin neck, as well as patterns.  Just stomp yer feet... most will run.  Go the other way.

I hope this has been of help.

Answer 2

Usually Pointed arrow shaped head That a good way to tell

Answer 3

The biggest way to tell that a snake is venomous is by the shape of its head. Almost every snake that is venomous has a diamond shaped head, whereas a non toxic snake has an oval shaped head. This doesn't apply to all snakes, but to most of them. Keep these snakes around! They are most likely garters. Garters will help with all kinds of insects in you garden.

A common garder snake is dark green with yellow stripes going down the sides. They are very small and can get as big as 2 ft long.

Some snakes that are venomous that have oval shaped heads...

Krate Snake (these are only found in the oceann)

Coral Snake- Coral snakes look like milk snakes, but there's a difference.

Red on black is a friend of Jack

Black on yellow can kill a fellow

Hope this helps :)

I also agree with gobuckey.

If you still can't determine whether your garden snakes are venomous, then get a field guide for your area and study. You could also get a book on the subject.

Add more details for further questions.

Answer 4

In the USA...

If it is a pit viper... rattlesnake, copperhead, water moccasin/cottonmouth, etc. there are two little holes (pits) above the nostrils. Of course the rattler has rattles.

The only other type of poisonous snake in the US is a coral snake and it has very bright red, black, yellow but these also look like a non poisonous snake.

Best thing is to just give them room.

Answer 5

There is no general rule. You just have to learn the snakes that live in your area. It's not hard to do. The safe thing to do is to assume that any snake is venomous until you have positively identified it as non-venomous.

Answer 6

There is no such thing as a poisonous snake.  Poisons are secreted and absorbed.  Snakes can be *venomous*, as they inject the venom.  As was said above, diamond shaped heads tend to be venomous, but not always true.  Best way to learn your venomous snakes is to grab a field guide for your area, or go to a local zoo, and memorize all the venomous snakes in your area.  If you know what all the venomous ones are, you know all the other ones are safe to handle.

Answer 7

research  

Answer 8

LET IT BITE YOU!! if you die, then..............................peace

Answer 9

black and yellow, kill a fellow...the red part doesn't matter, Jack.  

Greenies are fine.  Just pick them up and move them some place safe.  It's like big spiders.  They eat the nasties in your yard and you should like them....well, tolerate them, anyway.

Answer 10

Your best bet would be to either look up a good website (see search results for "<your state> snake identification" or "<your state> venomous snakes") or invest in a field guide with good photos. Learn to identify your local venomous snakes on sight and you'll know every time. Or I know in my area, most of the zoos and such have displays of local snakes, including the venomous ones, I believe seeing them in person is a better way to learn to identify than going by a photo or worse yet, a drawing.

In general, however, a heart or diamond-shaped head, heat pit between the eyes and nostrils, and elliptical pupils for pit vipers, also, vipers have what I refer to as an "eyebrow scale"... from the top, you can see the eyes of a snake that isn't a pit viper... pit vipers, however, the scale above their eyebrow kind of juts out a bit and you cannot see the eye from the top. DO NOT RELY ON ELLIPTICAL PUPILS TO IDENTIFY A VENOMOUS SNAKE!!! In low-light situations, the pupil will be dilated and appear to be round. Many nonvenomous snakes will also flatten their heads to appear dangerous (some even rattle their tails), this is a ruse, and relying on a first glance to identify a snake is not good... this is why a field guide or a good identification website is very handy.

The only venomous snake in North America that isn't a pit viper is the coral snake. Whoever it was that said don't worry about the red is WAY off... don't worry about nursery rhymes, either... Traffic lights... something everyone knows... if it goes from yellow to red, stop and leave it alone, it's a coral snake. Corals also ALWAYS have black noses. There are two coral snake mimics... the scarlet kingsnake and the scarlet snake... scarlet kingsnakes have red bands touching black bands, and scarlet snakes also have red touching black, but the color doesn't go all the way around the snake.

These rules ONLY APPLY IF YOU ARE IN NORTH AMERICA AND NORTH OF MEXICO!!!

Answer 11

If you get really, really sick or die when it bites you, there's a good chance it is poisonous.

Answer 12

Don't go near any wild snakes over 1 foot long, they can be dangerous and even poisonous, and garden snakes aren't poisenous.

Answer 13

a large head, cat eyes which really mean they are nocturnal but most happen to be venomous. usually a thicker body. some venomous snakes are less likely to run but stand their ground. red band touches yellow would be a coral snake but they are more likely to avoid you.

Answer 14

if your planning on touching one you should check on line or in a book before you touch a snake to be safe on the poisonous fact about it

Answer 15

In USA venomous snakes have vertical pupils, heat sensing pits (between the nostrils and the eyes), and a triangle shaped head.

Answer 16

get bit and see how you feel

Answer 17

Get bit by it.