Good Guys
Don't confuse these friends of the garden
T
he past couple of months have brought about several changes and additional stress in our daily lives. In the absence of crowd-gathering sports events, we have likely spent more time outdoors, pursuing recreational activities in the woods or lake or at home in the yard and garden. If you fit into this category, chances are good that you already have encountered one of Alabama’s many snake species (or may soon). Snakes are one of Alabama’s most polarizing groups of wildlife and probably the most likely to garner a reaction when seen. Fortunately, out of these many species, only six are venomous. Five of these six venomous species fall into the class of snakes known as pit vipers. Pit vipers have broad, triangular-shaped heads, heavy bodies relative to their length, vertical pupils and a single row of scales on their bellies below the anal scales. Four of these six venomous species commonly occur in the Lake Martin area and around much of the state, including timber rattlesnakes, pigmy rattlesnakes, copperheads and cottonmouths.
20 Lake Martin Living
Due to their venomous nature, these six snakes often get labeled as the “bad guys” and attract a lot of negative attention and press. Unfortunately, this bad reputation often results in the needless killing of the other 34 species of non-venomous snakes on a regular basis. It is important to learn to properly identify them, as these non-venomous snakes are quite beneficial. Let’s highlight six of these non-venomous species that you may see in your everyday activities in the woods, garden, lake or around the home. All native snakes provide important ecosystem functions, but the first snake in this discussion may directly benefit humans more than others. Kingsnakes are strong constrictors and are resistant to the venom of pit vipers, as they readily eat copperheads, cottonmouths and rattlesnakes, in addition to a variety of other prey. In Alabama, kingsnakes are active almost exclusively by day but are most active in the morning during the summer.
