Missouri is home to a diverse array of snake species. While snakes often evoke fear, most are harmless and play a beneficial role in maintaining the natural balance of their ecosystems. These reptiles help control populations of rodents and insects. This article aims to help readers understand the different snakes found in Missouri, how to identify them, and how to safely coexist with these creatures.
Identifying Non-Venomous Snakes
Missouri boasts many non-venomous snake species. A common distinguishing feature of non-venomous snakes is their rounded pupils and a double row of scales along the underside of their tail. Although some species can flatten their heads when threatened, appearing triangular like venomous snakes, their other features remain consistent.
The Common Garter Snake can be found in a variety of moist habitats, including woodlands and pond edges. These snakes have three light stripes running down their bodies against a darker background and feed on earthworms, slugs, and amphibians. The Western Ratsnake, also known as the Black Rat Snake, can grow quite long. They are shiny black with a mottled belly and are excellent climbers, often found in forested areas or around buildings where they hunt rodents and birds.
Northern Watersnakes are found near aquatic environments like ponds, rivers, and marshes. They are gray to reddish-brown with dark crossbands or blotches, and their bellies are cream-colored with black or reddish markings. While they may bite if threatened, their bite is not venomous, and they are frequently mistaken for the venomous Cottonmouth, though watersnakes swim with most of their body submerged.
Kingsnakes, such as the Prairie Kingsnake and Speckled Kingsnake, are immune to the venom of other snakes and will prey on them, including venomous species. Prairie Kingsnakes have tan or gray bodies with dark, rounded blotches. The Speckled Kingsnake is black, covered in small white or yellow spots.
The Ring-necked Snake is a small, secretive snake recognized by its dark body, bright yellow-orange belly, and a distinct yellow band around its neck. They are found under rocks, feeding on worms and slugs. The Eastern Hog-nosed Snake, with its upturned snout, is known for its defensive displays, including hissing, flattening its head like a cobra, and even playing dead. It is harmless and primarily eats toads.
Identifying Venomous Snakes
Missouri is home to five species of venomous snakes, all pit vipers. They are identifiable by a heat-sensing pit between each eye and nostril, elliptical or cat-like pupils, and a single row of scales along the underside of their tails. While a triangular head shape is associated with venomous snakes, some non-venomous species can also flatten their heads, so relying solely on head shape is not a reliable identification method.
The Eastern Copperhead is the most commonly encountered venomous snake in Missouri. They have a pink, tan, gray, or light brown body with distinctive hourglass-shaped, dark brown crossbands. Young copperheads have bright yellow tail tips. Copperheads prefer rocky hillsides and forest edges, where their coloration provides camouflage among leaf litter.
The Western Cottonmouth, also known as the Water Moccasin, is an aquatic snake found in the southeastern swamps and along rocky streams in the southern Ozarks. These snakes have dark bodies, ranging from black to dark brown with darker bands, and swim with their heads and a significant portion of their bodies above the water surface. When threatened, they display the white, cotton-like interior of their mouths, giving them their common name.
Missouri has three species of rattlesnakes, all recognized by the rattle at the end of their tails. The Timber Rattlesnake is the largest venomous snake in the state. They are tan with dark brown V-shaped markings that form bands near the tail and inhabit rocky or wooded areas.
The Massasauga Rattlesnake is smaller, 18 to 30 inches long, with a thick, dark gray or brown body and darker, geometrically shaped spots. This species is found in wet prairies and marshy habitats. The Western Pygmy Rattlesnake is a smaller species, with alternating black and brown spots. All rattlesnakes use their rattle as a warning.
Understanding Snake Behavior and Habitat
Snakes in Missouri are shy and reclusive animals, preferring to avoid human interaction unless threatened. They are cold-blooded, meaning their body temperature is regulated by their surroundings, leading them to bask in the sun on rocks or warm surfaces to raise their internal temperature. Conversely, during hot periods, they seek shaded areas to cool down.
Their preferred habitats vary widely across Missouri’s diverse landscapes, including forests, grasslands, rocky areas, and aquatic environments such as ponds, rivers, and marshes. Snakes play a significant role in their ecosystems as predators, with diets ranging from rodents, insects, and fish to amphibians and even other snakes. This dietary diversity positions them as natural pest controllers.
Snakes shed their outer layer of skin periodically as they grow and exhibit various defensive postures when alarmed. Defenses include coiling, striking, vibrating their tails (even non-rattlesnakes do this in dry leaves to mimic a rattle), hissing, or playing dead. Some species, like copperheads and timber rattlesnakes, become more nocturnal during the warmer summer months to avoid extreme heat.
Safe Interactions and Prevention
Encountering a snake in Missouri can be startling, but safe interactions are possible with appropriate responses. If you encounter a snake, give it ample space and leave it alone; do not attempt to approach, provoke, or handle it. Most snakebites occur when people try to interact with or harm snakes.
To prevent snakes from entering your home or yard, modifying the environment to make it less appealing is effective. Keep lawns closely mowed, and remove hiding spots like piles of wood, rocks, brush, and other debris. Sealing cracks in foundations, gaps around pipes, and tears in screens can prevent snakes from entering buildings. Controlling rodent populations around your property by securing garbage and pet food eliminates a food source that attracts snakes.
In the rare event of a snakebite, seek immediate medical attention by calling 911. While waiting for emergency services, remain calm and minimize physical activity to help slow the spread of venom. Keep the bitten area still and at or below heart level, and remove any tight clothing or jewelry that could constrict swelling.
Avoid harmful snakebite myths: do not apply a tourniquet, cut the wound, attempt to suck out venom, or apply ice to the bite. For more information, the Missouri Department of Conservation is a resource.