These snakes are found widely in the eastern U.S. » RELATED: It's illegal to kill most snakes in Georgia Both forms have solid black tails that appear almost velvet and black chevrons on the back and sides with the point of the (V) pointing forward." Timber rattlers, according to the UGA SREL Herpetology Program, "are typically more brown or yellowish and may even be black. Canebrakes are usually gray, may have a pink hue and may have a pink, yellow, orange or brown stripe running along its back. The canebrake or timber rattlesnake ( Crotalus horridus) is a big, heavy-bodied snake that can grow to 6 feet in length. SPECIAL TO THE ATLANTA-JOURNAL-GAATJ-Whit Gibbons tests the short temper of a Canebrake Rattle Snake that sinks it's fangs into his protective boots after Gibbons lightly stepped on the snake.
» RELATED: Here are tips on keeping a snake-free yard Populations also often persist in suburban neighborhoods with patches of forest.Ĭopperheads are responsible for the majority of snakebites in the Southeast each year. Copperheads can be found in a wide variety of habitats, proving as comfortable in dry, rocky areas as they are in cool, forested areas or wetlands. but are not in most of Florida and south-central Georgia. The snakes range throughout the eastern and central U.S.
An average adult copperhead grows to 24 to 40 inches. According to the UGA SREL Herpetology Program, they're fairly big, heavy-bodied snakes with large triangular heads, tan/brown bodies showing dark hourglass-like crossbands along their length. The copperhead ( Agkistrodon contortrix) is much more common in the metro Atlanta area compared to the others on this list. A venomous copperhead snake is one type of snake that should worry you. » RELATED: Snakes are most attracted to these kinds of Atlanta homes You can learn about the differences between the two species at. According to Georgia's Wildlife Resources Division, the unnecessary killing of non-venomous snakes is illegal in Georgia. Other water snakes, such as the Nerodia spp., are often mistaken for water moccasins and killed.
The species can be found in nearly all freshwater habitats but are most common in cypress swamps, river floodplains and heavily-vegetated wetlands. That doesn't mean you won't come across them in metro Atlanta, though. Their range is the entire Southeast, but in Georgia, they're typically found in the southern Coastal Plain area. Water moccasins/cottonmouths ( Agkistrodon piscivoruscan) can be active day or night, but typically feed in the dark when it's hot. » RELATED: It's the season for snakes: When should you worry? (AP Photo/Stephen Morton).Īccording to the UGA Savannah River Ecology Laboratory (SREL) Herpetology Program, these snakes are semi-aquatic (found on both land and in water), have triangular heads, are heavy-bodied, vary in coloration and have large jowls. SPECIAL TO THE ATLANTA-JOURNAL-GAATJ-Gibbons uses a mechanical hand covered by a glove to pick up a Water Moccasin he found on the Savannah River Site near Aiken, SC recently.