Now that warm weather is here, people everywhere are on the move in the great outdoors and so are the snakes. But regardless of what you may believe, an encounter with a snake doesn't have to be an unpleasant experience.

Most sightings of snakes that we see in Western North Carolina are of non-poisonous species. And whether it's a non-poisonous or poisonous snake, chances are that it is more frightened of you than you are of it. Snakes in our mountains only bite in self-defense and will not chase or attack you. Thanks to their protective coloration, many snakes go undetected. Then danger approaches, most snakes will lie perfectly still, blending into their backgrounds until the danger has passed. If discovered or attacked, snakes generally crawl quickly away but if cornered will often strike and hiss, even inflating or flattening their heads and bodies in order to appear dangerous to the intruder. Some species can even rattle their tails in an attempt to mimic a rattlesnake.

Although the vast majority of our snakes are non-venomous, two species occur in our mountains which are venomous, the Timber Rattlesnake and the Northern Copperhead. Both of these snakes are primarily active after dark, especially during the heat of the summer. The copperhead is a fairly common snake, averaging about two to two and a half feet long with tannish brown coloration of saddle or hourglass-shaped blotcher.

Unfortunately, there are many other harmless species of snakes which somewhat resemble the copperhead in coloration, many of which are often killed by people. In fact, despite being rather numerous, most people seldom actually encounter copperheads because of their nocturnal habits. The copperhead possesses rather weak venom and rarely, if ever, is capable of delivering a fatal bite to a healthy human being. The bite, however, can be serious and is quite painful.

The Timber Rattlesnake is a larger snake averaging 3 to 4 feet and possesses much stronger venom than the copperhead. Although bites from timber rattlesnakes are rare, a few fatalities have occurred. Timber rattlesnakes are usually yellowish-brown in color with black or dark brown irregular blotches. Some may also be blackish in overall coloration. When frightened, rattlesnakes vibrate their tail, which is tipped by hollow segments of hardened skin which produce the characteristic buzzing or rattling sound. Rattlesnakes are becoming quite rare in many areas of our mountains and are seldom encountered by most people. They are actually a very shy and timid snake in spite of their fierce reputation.

Most of the snakes we encounter in the summertime tend to be those types that are primarily active in the day or common species, which have adapted to living close to humans. One of the most frequently seen snakes in our area is the Eastern Garter Snake, a snake equally at home in your backyard as it is in the deep woods. Although averaging less than two feet in length, garter snakes can look surprisingly dangerous by puffing up their heads to appear venomous. Garter snakes can often be confusing to identify. There are at least three distinctive color pattern varieties found in our mountains. Although generally greenish or yellowish brown in coloration with three distinct light-colored lengthwise stripes running the length of their bodies, garter snakes in our mountains are often found with little or no stripes at all.

Another snake often found near human habitations is the Black Rat Snake or just plain black snake, as it is called by many folks. Black rat snakes commonly grow to a length of 5 to 6 feet and even larger ones are sometimes found. As an adult, most black rat snakes appear mostly black with a whitish throat, but when younger are quite confusing to identify. Baby black rat snakes at hatching look totally different from the adults. They are generally light gray with a series of blackish or dark gray blotches and spots. As they mature, this pattern slowly begins to fade. Any black rat snake up to the length of 4 feet or so will usually still have slight traces of this pattern showing, resulting in a snake which many people confuse with copperheads, rattlesnakes, and others. Add the fact that the black rat snake is famous for its habit of rattling its tail when frightened and it's understandable why people have trouble identifying this common snake. It often enters attics, garages, and outbuilding in search of rodents, making this snake a very beneficial but often unwelcome guest.

In spite of persistent reports to the contrary, the venomous cottonmouth, or water moccasin, is not a resident of our mountain waterways. The cottonmouth is a species of warm water swamps in the eastern part of our state and cannot survive in the cool waters of our mountain rivers and streams. The Northern Water Snake, which does live here, is often misidentified as a cottonmouth or even a copperhead because of its reddish brown pattern. These snakes are usually quite chunky for their size as well which adds to the confusion.

Western North Carolina is home to between 20 and 25 different snake species. Some of these are quite common, while others are rare, being found only in very specific habitats. Like all other animals, snakes are important members of the natural community and have an important ecological role to play. As predators, snakes feed on a variety of other small animals, including rodents, insects, and many others. This is part of nature's plan to limit the populations of these prey animals. Snakes themselves are an important food item for many other larger animals. As humans, we often do not appreciate or understand the complex web of nature and take it upon ourselves to eliminate or persecute those species that we personally do not care for. Snakes are generally unpopular animals even among many nature enthusiasts. But if you arm yourself with a little knowledge about these fascinating reptiles, you might even find yourself looking forward to your next summertime encounter with a snake.