NC has almost 40 different kinds of snakes. These are the ones to watch for
Summer in the Carolinas means great weather for spending time outdoors, but slithering snakes in your path can be a major disruption to an otherwise fun day.
North Carolina is, for better or worse, home to many snake species. While they can play an important role in the state’s ecosystems, most view them as unwelcome visitors in their daily lives. And some venomous snakes can pose serious risks to humans and pets.
What to watch for when out and about can vary depending on what part of the state you’re in.
Here’s what to know about the snakes of North Carolina and other venomous critters to watch out for across the state:
What kinds of snakes are in NC?
There are three “families” of snakes found in North Carolina, which together include 37 different snake species, according to the state Wildlife Resources Commission.
Only six of those species are venomous:
Corals
Copperheads
Cottonmouths
Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnakes
Pygmy Rattlesnakes
Timber/Canebrake Rattlesnakes
“Copperheads are the most commonly encountered venomous snakes” in the state, per the wildlife commission, while cottonmouths “are only found in the Coastal Plain.”
“There are only a few records” of coral snake sightings, all in “the Southeast portion of the state.”
Pygmy rattlesnakes “are rare but can be found in the southeastern Coastal Plain and in the Sandhills,” while timber rattlesnakes “are most common in the mountains and Coastal Plain” eastern diamondbacks “in sandy pine flatwoods in the southeastern Coastal Plain.”
How to tell if a snake is venomous
While there are many old wives’ tales about how to tell if a snake is venomous, wildlife officials say many of them don’t ring true.
You should never, the wildlife commission advises, try to identify whether a snake is venomous based on its head shape, pupil shape or if it has a “rattling tail.”
“The best way to identify a venomous snake is to learn what venomous snakes are in your area and what they typically look like … Use a whole-body approach (e.g. color, pattern (bands vs saddles), size, and range) to identify species,” the agency says. “There is no single “magic trick” to identifying a venomous snake.”
Copperheads are known for their “Hershey Kiss” skin, a pattern that looks like the candy from which it gets its name. Cottonmouths can have a similar pattern, “but they are more pixelated in appearance.”
Different types of rattlesnakes have different patterns, but the wildlife commission recommends looking “for presence of dark stripe near eye” as well as “rattle segments.”
Other venomous animals in NC
Snakes aren’t the only venomous animals found in North Carolina.
Portuguese man o’ war, a jellyfish-like creature that often looks like a balloon, have been found on North Carolina beaches.
Their tentacles, per the National Ocean Service, “grow to an average of 30 feet and may extend by as much as 100 feet” and “contain stinging nematocysts, microscopic capsules loaded with coiled, barbed tubes that deliver venom capable of paralyzing and killing small fish and crustaceans.”
“While the man o’ war’s sting is rarely deadly to people, it packs a painful punch and causes welts on exposed skin,” the agency advises.
On dry land, two types of poisonous spiders are found in North Carolina: black widows and brown recluses. Spider bites from either can do damage to humans, entomologists advise, though death is rare.
This story was originally published July 20, 2022 at 10:41 AM with the headline "NC has almost 40 different kinds of snakes. These are the ones to watch for."
