It is arboreal because it spends most of its time in brush, trees and vines such as greenbriers. The eastern garter snake appears over a wide range. It alternates between playing dead and performing a series of aggressive-looking maneuvers that ultimately prove to be more of a decoy than anything else. Using this heat receptor, the snake locates prey that comes its way and strikes with great accuracy. While the American Civil War is commonly understood as a “brother’s war” between two regions of the country, an underappreciated aspect of this division is what historian Jennifer L. Weber calls the “neighbors’ war” that existed within the North. A dark bar, bordered with a lighter color, extends from the eye to the rear of the jaw, and several dark bars start at the top of the head and flow onto the neck. However, these snakes are able to withhold the venom if they desire, even though the fangs may have been used to inflict a bite. Pupils are vertically elliptical. The head is large, flat and triangular in shape. Identification. It does this by flattening the head and neck, spreading long rib bones outward. Frogs, toads and salamanders add variety to the diet, as do insects, small mice and an occasional bird. The cavities lead to a chemical receptor called the Jacobson's organ (See Figure VI-10). The tail is black regardless of the color phase of the body. It is one of the smallest snakes in Pennsylvania. They also have a vertically elliptical eye pupil. Trough Creek is a great place to see woodland birds, like scarlet tanager, veery, chickadee, and pileated woodpeckers. Reproduction. Pennsylvania Herp Identification is an educational tool for the public on the reptiles and amphibians found though out Pennsylvania. The few remaining organized rattlesnake hunts in Pennsylvania are scheduled for weekends in June, while the rattlesnake and copperhead hunting seasons begin the second week in June. Thus, frogs, salamanders and small fish are the main staple of its diet. Other snakes, including venomous species, also are taken, and lizards and an occasional bird supplement the diet. Food consists mainly of worms, slugs and snails, prey that is usually easy to find in a damp environment. These snakes are equipped with long, hollow fangs that actually are modified teeth located near the front of the upper jaw. This snake is one of three water snakes in Pennsylvania, but it is found only in limited numbers and considered very rare. It likes wooded hillsides accented with rock outcrops where ledges of stone might provide opportunities for basking (See Figure VI-20). It is not an aggressive creature. Conversely, nonvenomous species, such as the eastern milk snake, have round pupils, just like a human.”. The northern brown snake is usually found near water or areas that remain damp most of the time, settling into moist upland woodland or lowland marshes. The hognose snake likes dry terrain, preferring open areas, thinly wooded uplands or rock-strewn hillsides. The kingsnake is reputedly immune to the venom of pit vipers. One of Pennsylvania’s most aggressive breeds, Copperhead snakes are the cause of thousands of rarely-fatal bites a year. This is the familiar "black snake." In … It has strong jaws, powerful enough to inflict a severe bite. These darker saddles are bordered with black. It prefers quiet water. It is the most widely distributed and familiar snake in North America. They, like all animals, should be allowed to fulfill the mission nature intended for them as an integral component within a complex ecosystem. While most snakes will release a foul musk when frightened, the scent is not cucumber. The copperhead is attracted to stone walls, piles of rock and other similar debris and is a frequent visitor around farms and abandoned lumber operations. With the prey held firmly in the mouth by many sharp, rear-pointed teeth, either side of the lower jaw can be loosened, which enables the head to move forward, up and around the prey, a small step at a time. Still, snakes have been popular symbols for countless centuries. He was an intensely partisan Democrat who saw African Americans as an inferior race and Lincoln as a despot and dunce. As they became more slender, internal organs also underwent changes resulting in a less efficient heart and the loss of one lung. As springtime temperatures warm the air, the northern water snake stirs from its winter home in pursuit of its mate. The snakes tend to slither away if they can avoid a confrontation, but will strike when cornered or startled, and without providing a rattlesnake-type warning before they do. Discharge of a repugnant odor from the gland located in the vent would repel all but the most determined. When winter sets in, fissures in these places provide passage to deep dens for hibernation. It often suns itself draped on the branches of overhanging shrubs or trees. The young are born by late summer, usually July through August. The black rat snake occupies a variety of habitats. Habitat. They hunt and eat small mammals, reptiles (including other snakes), amphibians and insects. The eastern ribbon snake (Thamnophis s. sauritus) and the northern ribbon snake (Thamnophis s. septentrionalis). This method of locomotion allows the snake to move in a straight line. Food. In Pennsylvania, a commission-issued venomous snake permit is required “to hunt, take, catch, kill or possess” a copperhead or timber rattlesnake. Identification. In some cases, all five stripes appear. During the winter months, the hognose snake seeks relief by burrowing deeply into the soil. The northern redbelly snake likes forested areas, residing in densely covered mountains or hilly woodland. Their normal position is folded back along the jaw where they connect to a movable bone but swing forward rapidly when the mouth is opened in preparation to strike. Copperheads, like the one that bit a Berks County woman, are less familiar to most familiar Pennsylvanians than the timber rattlesnake, but they are more common, more locally abundant and more widespread across the state than their noisier cousins. In most cases after the young are born, or the eggs are laid, the parent snake departs immediately and the juveniles are left to fend for themselves. Some snakes, usually the smaller species, feed on worms, insects and other small prey. Submerging, it swims underwater seeking protection among the pondweeds and other aquatic plants. Even so, there are occasions when the massasauga may stray from these areas and be found in dry woodlands. As scales on one part of the belly move forward, others are just beginning to move backward, to be picked up and placed in a forward position once more. There are some who believe that the fear and hatred most people feel toward snakes is not inherent, but is taught, handed down from generation to generation. Food. Pennsylvania. Copperhead Snake are normally found in the southeastern part of the United States of America.The sight of copperhead snake is something that could bring fear. It congregates in large colonies. Even though they are unable to hear as can most other animals by sensing air-borne vibrations, snakes are sensitive to contact vibrations and in that sense have a well-developed sense of "hearing." It is a feature that can be used to distinguish all of Pennsylvania's venomous from its non-venomous snakes (See Figure VI-14). The tail is yellow, green, or brown. Damp bottomland, meadows and farmland harbor the milk snake. This serpentine effect is produced with alternate contractions and relaxations of the muscles on each side of the body. Food. Montgomery County PA snakes snake identification northern watersnake juvenile northern watersnake snakes of pennsylvania nerodia sipedon sipedon submitted 5 months ago. The northern brown snake is a small snake but with almost disproportionately large eyes. There are three garter snakes that make Pennsylvania their home, the eastern garter snake, the shorthead garter snake and the ribbon snake. More or less square blotches appear on the back, alternating on their edges with round dark spots. Photo of camouflaged Eastern Copperhead courtesy of William Harbold. It has been known to wrap itself around copperheads and other snakes to suffocate its victims. Close examination reveals keeled scales and a single anal plate. It would not be unusual to find it tucked under a piece of sandstone or other flat stone in a marshy meadow. Check out a thorough field guide to local snakes, such as Snakes of North America: Eastern and Central Regions, by Alan Tennant and R.D. The northern redbelly snake is most common in the northern tier counties and in other mountainous regions of the state. It is a large snake, reaching adult sizes of three to over six feet. The black rat snake has a divided anal plate. Not much else is consumed by the northern brown snake, which in turn is preyed on by skunks, hawks and owls. Venomous snakes Except for the belly, which is a bright reddish pink, the eastern worm snake is brown and unpatterned over its entire body. It is at least semi-aquatic, so one could expect to find the ribbon snake in wet meadows, bogs and marshes. Five to 17 young are born, reaching 10 to 13 inches in length. The back and sides are usually gray, but at times can be black or even brownish. It resembles an earthworm and isn't much larger when you consider that adults reach only seven to 11 inches. It extends south into Georgia and the Gulf Coast. The pupil is rounded on the non-venomous snakes common to Pennsylvania. Amphibians and Reptiles of Pennsylvania by Arthur C. Hulse, C. J. McCoy, and Ellen Censky (2001) and Amphibians and Reptiles of Delmarva by James F. and Amy Wendt White (2002) were also extremely useful. Learn to identify, by sight, the copperhead and timber rattlesnake. The tail is stocky or stout, ending in a moderately developed rattle. Reflecting its preferred habitat, the copperhead sometimes is referred to as the "upland" or "highland" moccasin. The eastern garter snake mates sooner than most other snakes, beginning as early as late March and in some cases continuing into early May. The bands continue to the tail. Two of these stripes are located near the center. Even newborn snakes can be targeted by a hungry ringneck snake. Yes, 21 species, although some haven't been seen for a while. Crickets, spiders, caterpillars and grasshoppers make up the main diet of the rough green snake. The anal plate is divided and the scales are smooth. The smooth earth snake is represented in Pennsylvania by two of three subspecies, the mountain earth snake (Virginia valeriae pulchra) and the eastern earth snake (Virginia v. valeriae). The belly is unmarked and can be distinguished from Kirtland's snake, which has a double row of black spots down the belly. The belly is white or cream-colored with dark more or less square splotches that create a checkerboard effect. Reproduction. But the rough green snake is also a good swimmer and does not hesitate to glide quickly and silently into the water if disturbed. Although amphibians may be preferred, lizards, small rodents and small birds are taken from time to time as well. Adults attain lengths of two to over four feet when fully grown. In this case the snakes are born alive (See Figure VI-8). It is, in fact, harmless. The head is normally as wide as the neck (See Figure VI-13), perhaps a bit more so in some species. The facial pit is in its usual position between the eye and nostril. An average litter of 25 young water snakes is produced during the period of August to October. Regardless, many people continue to regard snakes only as a menace and a symbol of repulsiveness and evil. The belly is black with scattered white or yellowish markings. It is not capable of injecting venom or any other toxic substance. One of the most important elements in the enhancement of this reptile's locomotion was the growth of a large number of very small vertebrae. The anal plate is divided and the smooth scales (keeled scales on the rough green snake) depict the name of the eastern smooth green snake. Identification. It is not unusual to find several females sharing the same nesting area. The second group of scales then grips the surface as a third group advances to be laid down in preparation to provide the grip, and so on. It also pursues lizards, rodents and birds and their eggs. It is fond of curling up in sawdust or rotting logs, and it likes the protection offered by large, flat stones, especially those located near water. Identification. Then, inflating the body with air, hissing and striking out, the hognose snake suddenly resembles a fearsome-looking creature, but it is harmless. Worms make up the primary diet of the shorthead garter snake. Food. Five to six inches long at birth, they're already one-third their adult size. Food. The prey is captured as it wanders into striking range of the hunter, coiled and ready and usually hidden near a log or other object. The pupil of the eye is elliptical, not rounded as it is on Pennsylvania's non-venomous snakes (See Figure VI-14). Experts say, if you see one, don't panic -- leave it alone and walk away. It appears in numbers throughout its range. © 2021 Advance Local Media LLC. Latin Name. It rarely dives in the manner of true water snakes. Kirtland's snake is a slender reptile with background colors ranging from brown to reddish brown or gray. Pennsylvania's three venomous species are pit vipers, so named for the deep pit located on each side of the head between the eye and the nostril (See Figure VI-14).