Preventing Snakebites - How to Identify and Avoid North America’s Deadliest Snakes

Previously, we’ve discussed how to protect yourself from the might of a bear or the power of a pack of feral dogs. But, deadly as these fierce predators are, the bite of a far smaller foe can actually cause a great deal more damage. Although North America has only a few venomous species, they are quite widespread in their respective territories and have potent bites that can kill or cripple a man in an instant. Fortunately, snakes do not actively hunt people due to our size, and so bite prevention is as simple as knowing how to avoid the venomous varieties.

Which snakes should you avoid?

Although any snakebite is painful and has a strong likelihood of infection, it is the power of the venom in a serpent’s fangs that you should truly fear. Therefore, let’s take a look at the most dangerous North American species, the regions where they roam, and their identifying markings so that you can learn how to avoid them.

Rattlesnakes

The eastern rattlesnake (Left) has a darker coloring than its desert dwelling kin in the west. (Right)

There are actually many different varieties of rattlesnake, ranging from the tiny Pygmy Rattlesnake to the massive Eastern Diamondback.

The two primary threats most commonly encountered are the Eastern and Western Diamondbacks, with the Eastern being the most common cause of snakebite fatalities and the Western coming in a close second. Between them, these two species cover most of the United States and even extend up into southern Canada and down into Northern Mexico. Both have the distinctive dark colored diamond shapes on their backs that give them their name, with the Western Diamondback having a somewhat lighter overall coloring than its Eastern cousin owing to the large amount of desert habitat in that region.

Neither snake is particularly aggressive, but any human foolish enough to go poking around under logs, rocks, and other cool places during the heat of the day has a strong chance of being bit. In times past most of these potent serpents would have used their namesake rattles to warn you of its presence, but that is largely no longer the case. Unfortunately, overhunting and widespread extermination of rattlesnakes across North America has encouraged these animals to lie silent rather than alert humans to their presence by rattling, meaning that you will have to be extremely careful when wandering near their territory.

The venom of the Eastern Diamondback is the most deadly of all North American snakes, though its Western counterpart has a nasty bite as well. Both snakes use hemotoxic venom that causes harm to the heart, reduce or eliminate the body’s ability to clot blood, and destroys many vital tissues. They also cause severe bleeding, internal and external, and the venom also kills cells that come in contact with it. Although death is not guaranteed from a single bite for a healthy adult, it does have the ability to kill unless you have access to the ant venom. In an emergency without working hospitals, adults would be severely debilitated or killed by a single bite, while children, the sick, and the elderly would likely die in extreme pain.

Cottonmouths and Copperheads

Where the rattlesnake is most commonly associated with deserts or open areas, these snakes are found around water and in woods and swamps. Copperheads are a family of snakes, most of which are brown or copper colored, and are probably the least dangerous variety on this list. When stepped on or otherwise surprised, they are likely to attack with a “warning bite” with little to no venom injected. Even when they do bite, their venom is fairly weak for a viper and tends to be painful and damaging but not life threatening to healthy adults. Like most vipers, the copperheads have a triangular head, that is usually uniform in color. They tend to blend in with the dead leaves of their woodland homes, which usually results in a painful bite for the unsuspecting woodsman or emergency forager.

Cottonmouths look very similar to copperheads save for the coloring which is much darker particularly in older snakes. They are also much more aggressive and particularly territorial males have been known to actually chase people away and threaten to bite them. Their distinctive feature is the cottony skin of the mouth that gives them their name, and they will flash the whiteness in order to scare off potential threats. They do not have any common habit of a “warning bite”, and their venom is quite deadly even to healthy adults. Their head is shaped very similarly to the copperhead, but they usually have a black band that runs along the cheek and through the eye, in contrast to the uniform color of a copperhead. They are also powerful swimmers and are commonly found to attack people in and around watering holes, ponds, and streams.

The cottonmouth (Left) and copperhead (Right) look similar in body, but the coloring is distinctively different.

The Coral Snake

Coral snakes can be easily identified by their distinctive red, yellow, black banding pattern. Since these snakes are quite powerful, other serpents like the non-venomous king snake have imitated their coloring but with different patterns. A simple mnemonic to remember the proper coloring for the venomous coral snake: “Red on Yellow, poisonous fellow, Red on Black, safe from attack!” Additionally, coral snakes tend to have rounded, smooth heads while its imitators often have more blunt or pointed faces. Coral snakes are thankfully rather shy and tend to flee when they encounter people, spending much of their time either swimming through dense marshy grass or burrowed underground. They also have tiny, fixed fangs that cannot penetrate thick leather, making it easy to prevent the bit from striking flesh. If it does connect, however, death is quite likely. While the damage from rattlesnake venom is extensive, the coral snake is much more likely to kill quickly, particularly during an emergency without access to ant venom. The venom has a potent neurotoxin that actually paralyzes the victim, preventing them from breathing and causing general respiratory failure. When in coral snake territory, wear thick boots!

The venomous coral snake (Right) has the distinctive red on yellow pattern save for the black head. The imitative king snake (Left) has black on red, as its imitation is imperfect.

How to avoid being bitten

There is a reason why people across the U.S. frequently slaughtered snakes wherever they found them, as it is quite easy for one to bite you when you’re least expecting it. However, some basic knowledge of their common habitats and distinctive coloring can reduce the chance of a snakebite.

  • Wear thick lower clothing and wear gloves when looking through woodpiles or turning over rocks. Most North American snakes aren’t going to be diving at you from above, rather they tend to strike because they’ve been stepped on or you’ve reached a hand into their lair.

Snakes can take the opportunity to hide under rocks and outcroppings. Be aware when walking about or foraging!

  • Position yourself so that the snake can escape you when you turn over rocks and logs. Lift up rocks so that you are behind the rock, protected from the annoyed snake who will hopefully wander off in search of an undisturbed hiding place. In the case of rattlers, keep a close eye ahead of you and watch for snakes sunning themselves on top of boulders and the like.
  • Any area that has a lot of rodents and bugs attracts snakes, so be aware. Snakes are wonderful killers of crop destroying, disease spreading vermin. Unfortunately they tend to follow their food directly into emergency stockpile shelters, barns, garages, and trash bins. During an emergency, you would also want to be careful when entering abandoned homes and sheds, as they present a lot of places for rodents and the serpents that hunt them to hide.
  • Floods, hurricanes, and wildfires will drive them to you. Emergencies are caused by natural disasters, and unfortunately they affect local wildlife just like they do you. Snakes seek refuge in homes and outbuildings during times of fire and flood, and will defend their new “home” to the death if cornered.
  • If you do encounter a snake, move slowly and carefully away from it rather than running. Snakes have terrible vision, and generally rely on movement to detect prey and threats. You can’t outrun or dodge a strike, so move slowly away to show that you’re no threat.
  • They don’t want to eat or harm you. This is actually very important, as this sets them apart from bears or dogs that have motivation to hunt you down. If you can give a snake a way of escape, they’ll usually take it. If they stand their ground (as a rattlesnake or cottonmouth tends to) they usually won’t pursue or try to find you later for revenge. When bugging out or just going to retreat woodpile, consider your actions so that if you run into a snake, you won’t pin it and force it to attack.

Just as people flee fires and floods, so to do snakes. Sometimes, they choose to run right into your home!

Snakes don’t have the terrifying bulk and ferocity of a charging bear or starving pack, but they are dangerous in their own right. Know their habits and hiding spots, learn how to spot them, and leave them alone so you don’t end up in painful convulsions without hope of medical help.