Northern Copperhead Agkistrodon contortrix This medium-sized, stout-bodied, beautifully patterned snake is arguably the most feared snake in our part of the country, but this fear is unfounded. Although the copperhead is responsible for most venomous snake bites reported to the CDC each year, their venom is the least toxic of all North American venomous snakes. The death rate from copperhead bites is negligible and seldom even requires antivenin therapy for recovery. Copperheads feed on a wide variety of prey, from mammals and amphibians, up to and including cicadas and caterpillars.
Check out this video of a copperhead stalking and consuming a cicada larva: Babies can be more grayish or brownish in color, but are easily identified by their bright yellow or green tail tip, which they use to attract prey. Copperhead markings can be variable but are generally hourglass-shaped, with the narrowest part being along the spine.
Their markings and brown to orange coloration help them blend in with the forest floor, where they spend the majority of their time. Unlike the watersnakes for which they are frequently mistaken, they have a pale colored upper lip that is visible from quite a distance away as seen below , while watersnakes have a barred or dark-colored upper lip. When encountered, copperheads tend to remain motionless, relying on their excellent camouflage to escape detection.
In Ohio copperheads are now only found in a few counties of unglaciated southeast Ohio. Fun fact: an enzyme in copperhead venom is being used to shrink breast cancer tumors , and two common blood pressure medications were derived from the venom of a distantly related Bothrops viper.
Eastern Massasauga Sistrurus catenatus This beautiful little rattlesnake rarely exceeds two feet in length, and is extremely rare and declining in Ohio due to habitat loss. Ribbonsnakes seldom far from water.
Ribbon- and gartersnakes may easily be confused. The ribbonsnake has an exceptionally long tail that accounts for one-fourth to one-third of its total length.
The gartersnakes have a relatively short tail, usually five inches or less. Unlike other members of the gartersnake group, ribbonsnakes prefer to feed upon aquatic creatures such as small fish, tadpoles, salamanders,small frogs, and toads. These semi-aquatic snakes seldom venture far from water. As a rule, they frequent the margins of small lakes, ponds, swamps, wet prairies and meadows, and occasionally moist woods throughout Ohio.
The small, trim ribbonsnake is more at home on shore than in the water. When encountered it invariably retreats to the water. But, instead of diving to the bottom as a watersnake would, it swims rapidly along the shore and may disappear quickly into the vegetation. Ribbonsnakes are very high-strung and, even after being in captivity for a long time, will dart about nervously at the slightest movement.
The rough greensnake can be found in southern Ohio. Rough greensnake found along willow-lined streams. Two species of greensnake occur in Ohio. As the name implies, these snakes are a beautiful grass green. The underbody is a yellowish cream color. Greensnakes can be found in a variety of places, including blackberry bushes, grapevines, shrubs, roadside ditches, open grassy meadows, and marshy grass. Because they are small and secretive, blend in well with their surroundings, and are comparatively rare throughout their range, greensnakes are only occasionally encountered.
Insects — particularly crickets, grasshoppers, butterflies, small caterpillars, and ants — plus spiders make up the bulk of their diet. Except for struggling violently when handled, even after being in captivity for some time, the greensnakes are gentle and never bite. Unfortunately, they often cannot be induced to eat in captivity and therefore do not make hardy captives.
The rough greensnake lives in the extreme southern quarter of the state. Much longer than the smooth greensnake, it is more arboreal and has rough instead of smooth scales. They are more likely to be encountered along willow-lined streams. Females lay the eggs in communal nests often in hollow trees on upland sites.
The smooth greensnake is very rare in southwest Ohio. Dainty greensnake a rarity. This dainty little snake is found in southwest, central, and northeast Ohio. It has smooth scales. It is also more terrestrial than its cousin the rough greensnake. However, it does not hesitate to climb small shrubs, where it handles itself remarkably well.
The smooth greensnake is very rare in southwest Ohio, and is only commonly encountered in the largest prairie remnants of the state. Common watersnake abundant in Ohio. The common watersnake is one of the most widely distributed and certainly one of the most abundant snakes in Ohio. It may inhabit just about any permanent body of water. This stout-bodied snake shows extreme variations in color and pattern and is unfortunately confused by many with the venomous water moccasin, or cottonmouth.
The cottonmouth, however, does not occur in Ohio; it ranges no farther north than southeastern Virginia in the eastern portion of its range, and extreme southern Indiana and Illinois, in the western part of its range. Common watersnakes are particularly fond of basking and can often be seen sunning upon logs, stumps, and rocks, or on low branches overhanging the water. They are very wary and when disturbed drop into the water and disappear quickly. Watersnakes usually flee from people, but when grabbed, they are quick to defend themselves.
They bite viciously and large ones are capable of producing painful, deep lacerations. When picked up, they invariably secrete an obnoxious smelling substance from their musk glands. The copper-bellied watersnake is currently only known to occur in Williams County.
Copper-bellied watersnakes active, aggressive. Copper-bellied watersnakes spend a great deal of time on land, moving among temporary and permanent wetlands, including swampy woodlands and river bottoms. Agricultural development of its limited habitat has all but eliminated this snake from the state. This stout-bodied watersnake is currently known to occur only in Williams County, although small, widely scattered remnant populations may occur elsewhere. The adult is a uniform black or brownish-black above, with a beautiful orange-red or scarlet belly.
This snake is designated as federally threatened and state endangered. Like their cousin the common watersnake, copper-bellied watersnakes are active and aggressive snakes. The copper-bellied watersnake was first described from a former swamp forest east of Mt. The Lake Erie watersnake was de-listed from the federal threatened and endangered species list in but it is still a threatened species within the state of Ohio.
Photo courtesy of Kristen M. Lake Erie watersnake found on islands. A subspecies of the common watersnake, the Lake Erie watersnake is similar to its relative, except that the dark pattern of crossbands is very pale or completely missing. The general coloration is gray, greenish, or brownish.
The belly is white or pale yellow, occasionally tinged with pink or orange down the center. These snakes are limited to the islands of Lake Erie. The snake has benefited from the construction of docks and shoreline protection done in a snake-friendly manner demonstrating its ability to coexist with people.
The favorite food of the Lake Erie watersnake is the round goby, an invasive aquatic nuisance species. Find the copperhead. Probably no animals on earth have suffered more from human ignorance and superstition than snakes.
This is a misapprehension, since most snakes are both docile and fascinating. Without arms or legs, snakes can move swiftly across the ground, through water, and along tree branches.
They are near-sighted and therefore depend heavily on their sense of smell. Contrary to popular belief, the snake's forked tongue does not carry a stinger, but instead is a smelling device. Each time it is flicked out, it gathers minute particles from the air. In the roof of the mouth are two small cavities called Jacobson's organs. The tongue deposits the particles here and the sensory cells of these cavities help the brain interpret them as odors.
Pit vipers, in addition to their organs of smell, have heat sensitive pits resembling an extra pair of nostrils near the front and sides of their head. These pits can detect the body heat of small, warmblooded animals. Snakes have a specialized mouth construction which enables them to swallow their prey whole. The lower jaw bone is in two parts, joined together at the chin by highly elastic tissue. In addition, the upper and lower jaws can be disengaged to further enlarge the mouth opening so prey larger than the snake's head can be swallowed.
Unlike most animals, which cannot digest bones, fur, and feathers, the snake has exceptionally powerful digestive juices that are even capable of digesting teeth. Chuck Slusarczyk Jr. More Ohio wildlife. Want to see more great wildlife? Here are links to previous Plain Dealer and Cleveland. Raptors of Ohio. How to identify Ohio winter backyard feeder birds. How to identify Ohio house spiders. Ohio's most endangered species.
All rights reserved About Us. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. Ad Choices. Skip to Main Content. Snakes of Ohio: Identifying all 25 species slideshow Updated: May. Published: Jun. A Bonaparte's gull becomes a meal for a Peregrine falcon.
Footer Navigation More on Cleveland. The venom is released from a venom sac in the cheeks and travels through a tube in the fang, coming out of a hole in the tip of the fang. Snakes can control the amount of venom that is released. At times they may actually give a "dry bite", while in others, they may "load up" and bite several times.
The "strength" of the venom depends on the species of snake. In Ohio, the bite of the Eastern timber rattlesnake is much more dangerous than the Northern copperhead.
Besides prey, the most commonly bitten animals are dogs and horses because of curiosity and getting their noses too close. Medical science has learned a lot about how to treat snake bites by studying venom.
Venomous snakes are "milked" of their venom by placing their open mouth over a jar and applying pressure to the venom sac.
This venom is used in making serum, the "anti-venom," that is given to snake bite victims to stop the poison's affects. Scientists are also finding a number of beneficial uses for snake venom, including recent research in the treatment of breast cancer and its ability to break up blood clots. Venomous snakes have been the stars of many Hollywood westerns. Viewers have witnessed hundreds of times the faithful friend who applies a tourniquet to stop blood and venom flow and then make an incision to suck the poison out.
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