2 Snakes To Know On Your Walks, Jogs And Hikes Around NJ

NEW JERSEY — Even if you think snakes are creepy, there are some things you need to know about coexisting with them in New Jersey as they awake from their refreshing winter brumation (that’s the equivalent of hibernation in the reptile world).

One of the most important of these things is that New Jersey has two of species of venomous snakes: the Timber Rattlesnake and Northern Copperhead. Another 20 species are nonvenomous.

The NJ Division of Fish and Wildlife lists also two snakes in the state that are often misidentified as copperheads: the Northern Water Snake and the Eastern Milk Snake.

Copperheads (pictured at the top of this article) have a hourglass shape pattern which is wider on the sides and narrower on the back, said NJ wildlife experts.

“Some segments of the pattern may be 'broken' presenting a 1⁄2 hourglass shape, but overall there will be complete lateral bands that are hourglass shaped and can be used for identification,” said NJ Fish and Wildlife.

As for Timber Rattlesnakes, the Division of Fish and Wildlife says identifying one isn’t always “as easy as it sounds.” Spotting the rattle on a snake is one thing, but many NJ snakes also create a rattling sound to confuse predators.

Timber rattlers have a unique pattern, as well, say wildlife experts: it’s often in the shape of irregular blotches across the neck and becomes jagged, lateral bands around the body which are sometimes broken up. The Timber Rattlesnake can have a lighter yellow, brown, or tan body as well as a darker black or gray body with this pattern. And, this snake has a darker tail and no head markings.

It is illegal in NJ to handle, harass, kill, injure, or collect any snakes or snake parts.

You’re most likely to see these and other snakes when daytime temperatures are consistently in the 60s. Like us, they seek sunshine to warm their bodies after winter, increasing the potential for encounters on trails, in the woods and almost anywhere. Remember that time a copperhead showed up near the National Mall?

What To Do If You Get Bitten

If you’re hiking, camping or spending time in the woods or any other place where snakes are found, have a plan on how to get emergency medical help — a good idea any time you’re out enjoying nature.

And make sure you have a fully stocked first aid kit, including a snakebite kit. Be skeptical of consumer snakebite kits, according to the Snakebite Foundation, an international group of physicians, paramedics and scientists who treat snakebite patients.

Snake bites require immediate medical attention. After you’ve called 911, keep the person who was bitten calm and still to slow the spread of venom. Make sure the site of the bite is below the level of the heart; wash the wound with warm, soapy water; and cover the bite with a clean, dry dressing from the first aid kit.

The Deadliest Snakes In America

About 8,000 people are bitten by snakes every year, whether because their jobs take them outside or because they want to shake off winter, according to the CDC. Most snakes are harmless, but even those bites can cause an infection or allergic reaction.

About 90 percent of the 150 species of snake found in the United States are harmless. The 10 deadliest snakes in North America include copperheads, found throughout the eastern and central United States; cottonmouths/water moccasins, which like to hide in water throughout the Southeast and in the coastal plains north to Virginia; Eastern coral snakes, found throughout the Southeast; and rattlesnakes.

The Eastern diamondback rattlesnake, the largest species of rattler anywhere in the world, is the most venomous of snakes in North America. It is found primarily in the pinelands of Florida, the coastal plains of North Carolina, and southern Mississippi through eastern Louisiana.

Other rattler species to be aware of if you're traveling around the country:

• Timber rattlesnake, found from eastern Kansas, Texas, Iowa and central Wisconsin to Georgia, the Carolinas, West Virginia, western Virginia, Pennsylvania and New England;
• Black rattlesnake, found widely across the western half of North America, from British Columbia to northern Mexico; the
• Tiger rattlesnake, found along the Arizona-Mexico border;
• Western diamondback rattlesnake, found throughout the Southwest;
• Prairie rattlesnake, found in the Great Plains from Canada to Mexico; and
• Mojave rattlesnake (the most venomous rattlesnake in the world), found in the desert Southwest.

‘Eek,’ You Say, But A World Without Snakes …

Snakes are unlikely to win a popularity contest, but most of the antipathies surrounding snakes are guided by ignorance and myths.

About 12 percent of snake species assessed by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, but that’s not a true measure of snakes’ conservation status since most of the world’s reptile species haven’t been assessed by the IUCN, according to Save the Snakes, a Sacramento, California-based nonprofit involved in snake conservation work.

Snakes, both predator and prey, play an important role in the ecosystem. Without them, rodent populations would explode in areas where there is plenty of food — for example, those areas where humans are the dominant species. Conversely, snakes are a good food source for bird, mammals and other reptiles.

But the good snakes do goes deeper. If all the vipers in the world suddenly didn’t exist and rodent populations were allowed to grow exponentially, diseases such as the bubonic plague, which killed millions of people in Europe during the Middle Ages, could see a resurgence. Though treatable, the plague has never been completely eradicated, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Humans typically get the plague when they’re bitten by a flea that is carrying the plague bacterium or by handling an animal infected with the plague.

Also, some medications used to treat diabetes and heart disease have been derived from venom produced by snakes and other venomous creatures.

There’s No Need To Kill Snakes

Most encounters with snakes are in passing. The Georgia State University Cooperative Extension Service says there’s no need to kill most snakes, even when they become a nuisance — around chicken coops, for example, where they feast on young chicks and eggs.

They’re also likely to inhabit crawl spaces and attics, very often without the homeowner even knowing. Getting rid of them in these spaces can be extraordinarily difficult because they find hiding spaces in insulation and hard-to-get-to spaces. The first step should be to isolate what is attracting them — rats and mice are a good bet — and then seal off all except the main entry point with caulk or wire mesh.

If the main entry point is a vent hole, install a one-way excluder door over the main entrance to allow the snake to exit once the food source has been eliminated, Georgia State Extension advised

If you find a snake in your living quarters, put an empty bucket over it, slide a piece of heavy cardboard under it to trap it, then carry it outside. You may be able to herd it outside using a broom. If that doesn’t work, it’s time to call in a professional to help.

Venomous snakes found outdoors should be removed, though it doesn’t necessarily mean they have to be killed, Georgia State Extension said. If the snake is just passing through, keep your distance, but if it’s near your house or a barn, consult a qualified nuisance-removal specialist. Several snakebites have occurred while trying to remove venomous snakes.

Snakes Do Stuff You Can’t Unsee

One of the rites of spring on social media is the roll-out of a photo showing a gigantic “garter snake mating ball.”

What’s that?

It’s entanglement of about 100 male red-sided garter snakes pursuing a single female who is “desperately trying” to get away, according to environmental documentary photographer Paul Colangelo, whose captured photos of the snake orgy for National Geographic.

Breeding ball behavior is most common among garter snakes. Black rattlesnakes in Arizona do it, too, according to a paper written by a couple of biology students at Reed University in Portland, Oregon.

It’s possible to see a group of red-sided garter snakes getting frisky in the spring. If your kids ask, just tell them it’s a “snake cuddlefest.” It’s not wrong.

That’s a thing you know now.

This story contains reporting from Patch’s national desk.