10 Species Of Snakes Commonly Spotted In West Virginia And What To Do If You See Them
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Cristy
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Some of the best hiking in the nation is found right in here in West Virginia, but we’ve noticed that some of you are hesitant to enjoy the great hikes we feature (like this one or this one) for one big reason: snakes.
Most of these snakes are rarely observed by hikers: snakes are quiet, private creatures that want to avoid our company as much as we want to avoid theirs.
The majority of harmful snakebites occur when trying to decapitate a venomous species, and many harmless snakes are killed needlessly due to misidentification. This deprives the ecosystem of a beneficial resource, as snakes eat pest rodents like mice, thus reducing incidents of diseases like Lyme disease. Some nonvenomous snakes even eat venomous snakes! When hiking in snake country, wear sturdy hiking boots or shoes rather than sandals.
Here are the snakes you are most likely to spot in the West Virginia woods as you hike:
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Copperheads are venomous snakes identifiable by the hourglass (or Hershey Kiss) shaped pattern on their back and sides. They have vertical pupils and they lack darkly colored, vertical lines (called labial lines) around the mouth.
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The easiest way to identify a Timber Rattlesnake is by the rattle on its tail, as its coloration may vary. It has pronounced pits on its nose, vertical pupils, and heavy brows typical of pit vipers. Due to its declining population, it is a protected species in many areas.
The Black Ratsnake is nonvenomous. It's perhaps most frequently seen of West Virginia's snakes and loves to climb. Ratsnakes have round pupils and pronounced labial lines around the mouth.
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Cornsnakes are nonvenomous and can range in color from red to brown to grey. They are often confused with Copperheads, but they have round pupils, labial lines at the mouth, and a very different saddle pattern (no pronounced hourglass shape on the side of the body).
The Eastern Kingsnake and the Eastern Black Kingsnake are especially nice to have around, because they eat copperheads and rattlesnakes! The two are similar, but one has a more pronounced chain pattern while the other is more speckled or solid black.
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Garter snakes are common snake variety and completely harmless to humans, although they will musk (emit an unpleasant odorous secretion) when threatened. Their pattern can vary from striped to checked, but they all have round pupils and labial lines.
Greensnakes prefer to live near water. They are easily identifiable by their green color. Smooth Greensnakes tend to be thicker while Northern Rough Greensnakes are more slender. Greensnakes are nonvenomous.
Eastern Hognose Snakes are "drama queens" of the snake world, flaring up their head/necks and rolling over to play dead. It's all a show, though, and they are harmless to humans.
If you are bitten by a snake, get a picture of the snake if at all possible and submit it to the Snake Identification group on facebook for instant, expert identification. Seek immediate medical attention if you are unsure of the ID or if the snake is positively identified as a venomous species.
To learn more about these snakes and all of the others we have in West Virginia, see this field guide put out by the Department of Natural Resources.
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