Wildlife Damage Management Fact Sheet Series Snakes

Wildlife Damage Management Fact Sheet SeriesSnakesKristi L. Sullivan and Paul D. CurtisCornell Cooperative Extension, Wildlife Damage Management ProgramSeventeen species of snakes, which occupy a variety of different habitats, can befound in New York State (Table 1). Eightof these species—the water snake, brownsnake, redbelly snake, eastern gartersnake, ribbon snake, ringneck snake,smooth green snake, and milk snake—occur statewide. Of these, the gartersnake is the most common and thespecies most likely to be encounterednear residences. Others, like the easternworm snake or eastern massasauga, arerare and occur in isolated patches. Theeastern hognose snake and the easternworm snake are species of special concern in New York State, the timber rattlesnake is threatened, and the easternmassasauga and the queen snake areendangered. Of the 17 species of snakes,three—the northern copperhead, easternmassasauga, and timber rattlesnake—arevenomous. The other species are nonvenomous. Snakes do not actually causedamage, but an occasional snake thatenters a home or other building may beconsidered an unwelcome visitor. Allsnakes native to New York State play animportant ecological role, both as predators and as prey for other species.tongue that helps them smell. Gaseousparticles from odors are picked up by thetongue and inserted into a two-holedorgan, called the Jacobson’s Organ, at theroof of the mouth.The two halves of a snake’s jaw arenot fused together but are loosely connected by a ligament, allowing it to swallow food much larger than its head.Snakes are poikilotherms (temperaturevaries with outside environment) and arenot very active. Therefore, one meal maylast them several weeks. Because snakesare poikilotherms they hibernate duringcold winter months during which theyconsume no food. Some snakes, like themilk snake, lay eggs in loose soil, hollowtrees, or piles of sawdust. Others, likethe garter snake, give birth to live young.General BiologySnakes are specialized animals with elongated bodies and no legs. They have noears, externally or internally, and no eyelids, although they do have a protectivewindow over the eye. A snake’s organsare elongated. They have a long, forkedVenomousNonvenomouselliptical pupilpit between eye andnostrilundivided scales onunderside of tailround pupilno pit between eye andnostrildivided scales onunderside of tailFigure 1. Distinctions between venomous and nonvenomous snakesSnakes, Wildlife Damage Management Fact Sheet Series, Cornell Cooperative Extension, Ithaca, N.Y. 2001 by Cornell University.

Snakes are very faithful to specific denand nesting sites in their home range,which they may share with snakes of thesame or different species. Snakes alsomay use the same nesting sites year afteryear. Because they are very tied to thesites they use and may occur in largenumbers in those places, they are veryvulnerable to habitat destruction andpersecution.Habitat and Food HabitsSnakes live in a variety of different habitats. Some, like the eastern worm snake,live underground, rarely venturing ontothe surface except on warm, humidnights. Others, such as the green snake,live in grassy openings. The water snakeand ribbon snake make their homes inwetlands and near other bodies of water.Most snakes, however, prefer sunny areaswhere rock piles, logs, and other debrisprovide cool, shaded hiding places.Around the home snakes are attracted tostacks of firewood, old lumber piles,junk piles, rock walls, old wells andfoundations, flower beds with heavymulch, gardens, shrubbery growingagainst foundations, banks of streamsand ponds, unmowed lawns, abandonedlots and fields, basements, and barn lofts(especially where rodents are abundant).The most common species that peopleencounter in and around the home inNew York are the garter snake, milksnake, and water snake. Garter snakesuse a wide variety of habitats, fromwoodlands to marshes to fields. Thesesnakes are variable in color and pattern.The basic color is dark brown or greenwith three yellowish stripes down thesides and back. They may reach lengthsof two feet but are typically smaller.Garter snakes feed on earthworms,amphibians, carrion, insects, small birds,slugs, fish, crayfish, and other snakes.The milk snake is frequently encountered in barns or other areas where itsfood—rodents and other snakes—maybe present. The milk snake is boldly patterned (brown or reddish blotches on alight gray to tan body) above with a distinctive black and white checkeredunderside. The milk snake may vibrateits tail when annoyed.The water snake is common in aquatic and semiaquatic habitats such asrivers, brooks, wet meadows, ponds, andswamps. It prefers areas with branchesor logs overhanging the water or boulders near dams and bridges. As an adult,it is a stout animal typically dark brownto black with lighter-colored bands andsplotches along its length. Although notvenomous, the water snake is an aggressive species that will not hesitate to bite.These snakes often will sun on boatdocks to the consternation of manybeach-front property owners.In addition to the snake species mostcommonly found around homes, severalothers may be encountered. The northern brown, redbelly, ringneck, and greensnakes are all small, slender species thatare well described by their names. Thesespecies feed on insects, spiders, earthworms, slugs, and amphibians.The northern brown snake is brownto grayish in color with a broad lightstripe bordered by dark spots down itsback.The northern redbelly snake is typically brown, bronze, or slate gray on itsback, with an underside of red, orange,or occasionally yellow.The ringneck is slate gray, black, orbrown with smooth scales that give it asatin appearance. It is distinguished by acomplete yellow band around its neck.The ringneck feeds primarily on salamanders but will also eat earthworms,insects, and an occasional fish.Beautiful and light green in color, thesmooth green snake is unmistakable andstriking in appearance. This small, docilespecies feeds on crickets, grasshoppers,caterpillars, beetles, spiders, centipedes,and millipedes.The eastern ribbon snake is slenderand striped and resembles the gartersnake but has a much longer tail,accounting for one-third or more of itstotal body length. It has three bold yellow stripes that run along its reddishbrown back. The ribbon snake prefers tofeed on amphibians but will also eat fishand insects.A fascinating creature, the easternhognose snake has a thick body and anupturned nose. It has a yellow, gray,brown, olive, or black background color,with a pattern of large rectangular spotsdown the middle of the back that alter-nate with dark spots on the side.Hognose snakes put on a defensive display when frightened, spreading the skinaround their necks like a cobra, hissingand lunging. Nevertheless, they almostnever bite. Hognose snakes prefer to feedon toads, though they will also takefrogs, salamanders, small mammals,birds, and invertebrates.The northern black racer is a largeblack snake with smooth scales, a whiteor gray throat, and a dark belly from itsthroat back. Black racers feed on a variety of prey, including other snakes andthe young of their own species.Though usually smaller, the black ratsnake can reach a length of up to eightfeet. Black with a white or yellow chinand throat, it differs from the black racerin that its belly is a mixture of white andblack. Black rat snakes feed on smallmammals, birds, and bird eggs and areadept climbers.The copperhead is a copper-colored,thick-bodied venomous snake. It hasdark yellowish or light brown bands thatalternate with darker bands that form anhourglass pattern along the length of thesnake. Though often confused with othernonvenomous snakes, the copperheadhas the distinctive characteristics of venomous snakes including a broad, triangular shaped head and vertical pupils.Copperheads eat small mammals such asmice and voles, small birds, amphibians,insects, and other sn

Snakes, Wildlife Damage Management Fact Sheet Series, Cornell Cooperative Extension, Ithaca, N.Y. 2001 by Cornell University. Black rat snake Common garter snake Eastern hognose snake Red-bellied snake Eas