How to Identify Snakes in East Texas

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East Texas is alive with poisonous snakes, as it is home to multiple species of copperheads, cottonmouths and rattlesnakes, as well as its own species of coral snake. However, it is easy to mistake some of these venomous serpents for non-venomous and relatively harmless snakes. Outdoorsmen in East Texas need to be armed with a little information when going into places where they are likely to encounter snakes.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Step 1

Make a thorough observation of the snakes skin's colors and pattern. The aggressive diamondback water snake, for example, has a gray-and-black diamond pattern that might lead a novice to mistake it for a rattlesnake. It could be found near any creek, river, pond or marsh in East Texas.

Step 2

Check for the distinct features. For example, the most obvious way to ascertain that the aforementioned diamondback water snake is not a diamond back rattlesnake is to see if there is a rattle on the tail.

Step 3

Try to get a good look at the snake's eyes. This is the quickest way to check if the snake is poisonous, which automatically eliminates a lot of possible species. Slit pupils indicate a poisonous snake, such as East Texas's southern copperhead or timber rattlesnake. Round pupils indicate a non-venomous snake.

Step 4

A Texas Rat Snake

Measure the snake. Unless you can catch the snake, this will need to be done by visual estimation. The Texas rat snake, which is present everywhere in East Texas, looks a lot more dangerous than it is because of its size: males can reach 6 feet in length.

Step 5

Make the determination if the snake is thick or thin. The timber rattlesnake of East Texas's forests is a thick-bodied serpent.

Step 6

Texas Coral Snake

Observe the features of the snake's head. The poisonous Texas coral snake has a head that is completely indistinct from the body and is well-rounded. It is found in moist, forested areas throughout East Texas.

Article Written By Edwin Thomas

Edwin Thomas has been writing since 1997. His work has appeared in various online publications, including The Black Table, Proboxing-Fans and others. A travel blogger, editor and writer, Thomas has traveled from Argentina to Vietnam in pursuit of stories. He holds a Master of Arts in international affairs from American University.

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