Grey Rat Snake
Broad Banded Water Snake
Corn Snake
Eastern CoachWhip Snake
Common Garter Snake
Eastern Hog Nose Snake
In Tennessee there are 32 types of snakes, but only four are venomous. Since this is such a large category I will be splitting up snakes into three days worth of blogs. First up let me state that it against Tennessee's wildlife regulations to capture a wild creature and keep it as a pet without first getting a permit. So if you found it and want to keep it contact your local wildlife office, their number should be in the phone book. It is also against regulations to release a pet into the wild because the animal will not survive (no hunting skills). I just want everyone to know that I DO NOT want anyone to go out into the wild and handle wild snakes, this inforamtion is purly education. With that said lets get to the creepy crawlies.
First up is a list of 6 non-poisonous snakes and 1 maybe posious snake.
Black & speckled King Snake- An adult can measure anywhere from 36-48 inches long. They are black with yellow flecks of color on their scales. Harmless(no venom). Eats mainly rodents, other snakes including venomous snakes. When scared can strike out and will produce a very smelly musk. They live in swampy areas, woods, fields, urban areas.
Grey Rat Snake (also known as a Chicken Snake)- adult rat snakes are typically 3-5 feet in length and if they are in a area that has plenty of prey they can get over 6 feet long. They are colored a dark grey with black bands, and the juvenile snakes are a slate grey with black markings. They eat bird eggs, frogs, birds, squirrels, mice and rats. They can be found in barns, abandoned buildings, wooded areas near ponds. They can vibrate their tail to mimic a rattlesnake and will release a musky scent when scared. They can bite but are harmless. They are constrictors so they can climb trees, brick walls (we had one on the side of house a few years back), and they of course constrict their prey. They are the most common large snake to be found in suburban areas.
Broad-Banded Water snake- These live near water because their main food source is frogs. They are harmless and are often confused with cotton mouths. The clear difference between the two snakes is the "Bandit-mask" a cotton mouth snake has around it's eyes. This snake will coil up, flatten it's self and vibrate it's tail and it also produces a musk that smells like a skunk's spray. They can be 22-36 in length. They can be found near ponds, creeks, flooded drainage ditches, lakes. They are seldom found far from a water source. They appear to be black with yellow or brown bands from a distance. They are bad tempered and aggressive when disturbed.
Red Corn snake- The red corn snake, or corn snake, or red rat snake can grow up to 3-6 feet in length and are harmless. They are commonly kept as pets due to their color and their calm attitudes. They mostly eat birds, bats, rats, mice, frogs and eggs. The are constrictors. They are named "corn snake" because of the maize like pattern on their bellies and that they are often found in corn fields. In the wild they can live up to 20 years and as a pet in captivity up to 23 years. They hibernate in colder months like all cold blooded animals unless kept indoors, and will lie in the sun to warm up. They can found in fields, wooded areas, abandoned homes and barns. They prefer places that are not disturbed.
Eastern Coach whip Snake- This snake is one of the fastest moving snakes in the U.S., they are one of the longest also and adult can be anywhere from 50 inches to 70 and the longest on record was 72 inches. Wow huh? They are non-constrictive and non-venomous, but they do bite repeatedly often at an attackers face (OUCH!) and will vibrate their tail in a warning.They have a very strong bite and powerful jaws. They will eat other snakes including venomous ones, grasshoppers, insects, frogs, birds. They will eat pretty much anything they can subdue. They will bite their prey and eat it alive, sometimes they will smash it against a hard surface to knock their prey out before consuming. They can me multi colored starting out black at the head with gradual color change down it's body to a white or cream color. They are named due to the slimness of their tail and it's likeness to a braided whip. They can be found in open fields, wooded areas, rocky hillsides, cedar glades, pretty much anywhere there is food and shelter. They are active during the day.
Common Garter Snake-This snake is black with yellow stripes on it's body. These stripes look like Garters, hence it's name. It is non venomous to humans but it's Silvia maybe toxic to frogs and fish and earthworms. They can release a musk when handled or scared. They can be anywhere from 3-5 feet as an adult. The common Garter snake hunts both during day time and night time, which is rare in snakes. They hibernate as other snakes do. They often can be found in common dens with other snakes. When they mate they can be seen in "mating balls" where one female is covered by 10 or more males. There are more males than females in this species. Their young are born with out an umbilical cord of any kind and the female can have up to 20 babies at a time. They can be found anywhere prey and shelter is abundant. These snakes are often kept as pets as well. They can be easily found in East Nashville where they have the most metro sightings.
Eastern Hog-nose snake- This snake has an upturned nose like a pig that it uses to root around for worms and toads. This snake does have rear facing fangs and it does have some toxins it releases via these fangs. There is a debate if the venom it releases is dangerous to humans, so it is better to be safe than sorry and just not handle this snake. It can be tri-colored from brown to a yellow with black patterns on it's back to solid black in color. It is known to play dead. If scared it will play dead and if moved while playing dead it will remain limp, it also will go as far to hang it's tongue out of it's mouth and release fecal matter. It watches it's attacker and will come back to life if not watched. It eats typical snake fodder such as eggs, lizards, toads, frogs and mice.
This is a video of a very upset and angry Hog Nose snake, you can tell what it is in the photos in the end of the video by the upturned snout.
This video is of a Hog Nose Snake playing dead, the guy filming it mentions the musk and the fecal matter the snake releases as it plays dead.
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