A lesson on Louisiana snakes

Published 12:00 am Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Living in South Louisiana, there are four things that we have in our state that others may not have where they call home. We have mosquitos, roaches, fire ants and snakes, and this is the time of year that we must deal with all four of these pests.

In the past few weeks, I have been seeing a lot of snakes, so I thought this week my article should be on snakes. I want to give you some facts about snakes so that when you come across one you will be able to tell if they are poisonous or not.

First, I would like to tell a snake story. A very good friend and fellow deputy, Juan Watkins, is scared to death of snakes. If I were to put a snake on him or near him, he would hurt me. He has called me on several occasions while we are on duty about a snake in someone’s yard. When I arrive to assist him, I find him sitting in his unit on the road, pointing in the direction of the snake and refusing to get out of the car. Needless to say, he doesn’t care for snakes, dead or alive.

In Louisiana we only have four poisonous snakes. They are the coral, copperhead and cottonmouth moccasin and rattlesnake. I have only seen one coral snake in my life, and you may never see one, but in case you do, they are small snakes with different colored rings around the body with a black head. If you were to be bitten by a coral snake, they are extremely poisonous, and they don’t strike — they bite or chew and continue to do that because their mouth is extremely small.

The copperhead moccasin is light and dark brown, and you will usually find these snakes in your flower beds. These snakes will usually lay coiled up and will not run away. Before you begin to work in your flower beds, you might want to take a rake or hoe and check the beds.

Next, the cottonmouth moccasin is black in color, and they are about a foot or so in length. People often get the cottonmouth moccasin confused with a water snake, which is also black but also very long and are very fast. The cottonmouth feeds on rats, small fish and minnows. We have lots of canals, lakes and areas of standing water in St. John the Baptist Parish, and the cottonmouth loves this environment.

The last of the poisonous snakes is the rattlesnake. We have a lot of these in St. John Parish. Everyone knows a rattlesnake by the rattles on the tail. If you should be bitten by a rattlesnake, one important thing to remember is not to run. This will cause your heart to pump the blood through your body faster and spread the poison. Stay calm, do not cut yourself, apply a tourniquet, and get to the nearest hospital.

Most snakes in Louisiana eat rodents, and if you have a pile of lumber, leaves or debris in your yard, you will have snakes. Also, tall grass is a home for the rodents that the snakes hunt for food. The rattlesnake is a rodent eater and will stay where food is plentiful. If you leave your garage door open, it is very easy for a snake to crawl inside to stay cool or hunt for food. In the summer time, just keep your eyes open when out on your property or near water.  

Louisiana is also the home of what I call the good snake to have around. You might be saying the only good snake is a dead snake. The king snake is a very good snake to have on your property. They are usually about 2 feet long, and they are black with yellow spots. They will kill and swallow a poisonous snake, so don’t chase them off. If you are around water or ditches, you might come across a large snake that is black with an orange stomach. This is a mud snake, and you can’t make him bite you. They are not poisonous, and they only eat eel-like salamanders. Remember, they are nice pets, so please don’t kill them; just let them slide on by.

If you should have any questions or have a snake problem, please call me at the St. John Parish Sheriff’s Office at 985-652-7058.

Wayne Norwood is a lieutenant with the St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff’s Department and owner and operator of the Louisiana Treasures Museum.