October might be a month for spooky, scary creatures, but snakes shouldn't be counted among them, according to the Missouri Department of Conservation.
"Snakes are just an animal like any other animal and they want to do two things: Eat and survive," said MDC naturalist Jordanya Raos during a virtual presentation Wednesday. "My goal is to help (people) learn more about them so (people) understand them better."
A Gallup poll published in 2001 found about half of Americans are afraid of snakes. Raos herself used to be among them.
"I was raised to think every snake I saw in Kansas was a cottonmouth and it was going to bite me," she said.
But spending nearly two decades working with the MDC and occasionally coming into close contact with snakes taught her that most snakes are non-aggressive and, if anything, more afraid of humans than humans are of them.
"The only reason snakes generally bite people is if they bother them," Raos said. "To them, we look like something that would eat them."
Of Missouri's 49 species and subspecies of snakes, only six are venomous, and even those prefer to avoid people when possible. The only venomous snakes found in Callaway County are the eastern copperhead and the timber rattlesnake.
Learning more about snakes made them less scary, Raos explained.
For example: Despite what many people think, snakes aren't actually slimy, she said. Their scales are smooth and dry to the touch. And a snake stretching out in the sun on a road isn't waiting to ambush a human - it's just enjoying the warmth. As "cold-blooded" reptiles, snakes aren't able to control their own body temperature and need to rely on external sources of heat.
"They're just soaking up the heat so they have enough energy to go about their lives," Raos said.
About half of Missouri's snakes lay eggs, while some give birth to live young. Charmingly, in a few species, the mother snake will stay with her babies until they've shed their skin for the first time.
Raos encouraged even those who stay wary of snakes to remember their important role in the environment.
"Snakes are carnivores," she explained. "A snake's job is to eat other animals and help keep the balance out in nature."
Various species of snakes chow down on everything from insects to eggs to rodents to fish to other snakes. Snakes, like other predators, help control the population of many species of animals, including some that pose a threat to human crops and health (such as mice). Kingsnakes eat other snakes, including venomous species.
Raos noted that snakes are protected under Missouri law as a non-game animal - it's illegal to kill a snake, the one exception being when a venomous snake is in close association with people, which could result in someone being bitten. Even then, Raos noted, it's safer to simply move away from the snake rather than approaching and attempting to kill it.
"You're actually putting yourself in more danger by approaching it and trying to harm it than by leaving it alone," she said.
Slithering nearby
Raos also ran down a short list of Missouri's most common snakes, including several nonvenomous and venomous species.
All venomous snakes native to Missouri are members of the pit viper family. Pit vipers have a characteristic pit located between the eye and nostril on each side of the head. They also have a pair of well-developed fangs. The adage about venomous snakes having slit-shaped pupils and triangular heads also holds true for Missouri snakes though several harmless snakes such as hog-nosed and gartersnakes are also able to flatten their heads to mimic venomous snakes.
The problem with those rules of thumb is they require getting a bit too close for comfort, Raos said. Even nonvenomous snakes may bite in self-defense; while not dangerous, those bites can be painful.
"You don't want to be close to a venomous snake," she said. "The best thing to do is learn to recognize venomous snakes' body shapes and patterns, and where they're supposed to be found."
A few you might see in Callaway County include:
The western ratsnake (Pantherophis obsoletus): Among Missouri's largest snakes, the western ratsnake is generally a shiny black, with a cream-colored chin and a mottled or checkered underside. Some individuals, especially young snakes, may have dark brown blotches. They're known for eating rodents and their ability to climb trees in pursuit of prey.
Gartersnakes: Missouri is home to several species of gartersnake (genus Thamnophis). Those found in Callaway County include the orange-striped ribbonsnake (Thamnophis proximus proximus) and the eastern gartersnake (Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis). Both species range from about 20-30 inches as adults and have horizontal stripes in bold colors: shades of black, yellow and orange. The ribbonsnake is often found near water, while the eastern gartersnake is common even in municipal areas.
Raos works at the Springfield Conservation Nature Center. In the spring, nonvenomous garter snakes emerge from hibernation and mate, and the nature center starts getting calls.
"It can be quite a surprise to see 20 of these snakes wrapped around each other in your yard," Raos said.
But, she promised, the snakes disperse once they're done mating.
Northern watersnake (Nerodia sipedon sipedon): Often mistaken for cottonmouths, these snakes grow to 24-42 inches and live in or near aquatic habitats. They range in color from gray to reddish-brown with dark brown cross-bands. "They help eat the fish that are weak and sick," Raos said. Cottonmouths, also known as a water moccasins, are restricted to the southern part of the state and don't occur in Callaway County.
Eastern milksnake (Lampropeltis triangulum): These snakes are 21-28 inches of bold red, black and white bands. Raos said people often mistake them for coralsnakes, which don't actually live in Missouri. They live under rocks on hillsides and glades. And no, they don't actually nurse milk from cows.
Prairie ring-necked snake (Diadophis punctatus arnyi): These snakes are small and slim, with a uniformly dark body, a distinct yellow-ring around their neck, and a sunset-colored belly. Raos described them as "a cute, very charming snake that a lot of kids fall in love with." Though common throughout Missouri, they spend most of their time hiding under rocks and hunting for worms and slugs.
Speckled kingsnake (Lampropeltis holbrooki): At 36-48 inches, these snakes are black with white or yellow speckles. They're immune to the venom of other snakes and often chow down on them, as well as lizards and small rodents.
Timber rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus): Missouri's largest venomous snake at 36-60 inches, these rattlesnakes bite humans only rarely, preferring to hide on rocky, wooded hillsides. Timber rattlesnakes are generally tan in color with a rust-colored stripe down their back, interrupted by dark brown markings - and, of course, they have a rattle. All of Missouri's rattlesnake species have become relatively rare due to the elimination of habitat and hunting by humans, Raos said.
Eastern copperhead (Agkistrodon contortrix): More common by far than rattlesnakes, copperheads range in length from 24-36 inches and in color from grayish-brown to pinkish-tan. Their dark markings are distinctive: Viewed from above, they look like bowties, and from the side, like Hershey's kisses. "They're not very aggressive," Raos said. "I've been out taking pictures of plants, looked up, and there's a copperhead right there, and it didn't do anything."
To view a full list of Missouri snakes, including pictures and range maps, visit this free MDC guide.
"I could cover snakes for three hours," Raos said at the conclusion of her talk. "It's important for us to share the good news about these snakes because they have such an important job."
View upcoming MDC events at mdc.mo.gov/events.
Still not a snake fan? For information about how to safely and legally discourage snakes from making a home on your property, check out this past Fulton Sun article.