The Poisonous Snakes of Tennessee

The scenic landscapes, award-winning state parks, and, of course, the beautiful Smoky Mountains in the east are some of the many reasons travelers are drawn to Tennessee. A Tennessee vacation is perfect for almost anyone; from family campers looking for some light hiking and fishing to outdoor enthusiasts seeking that next big adventure.

However, an outdoor exploration can quickly go from fun to frightening when you run across an unidentified snake. Visitors (and many Tennesseans) tend to assume any snake that crosses their paths is venomous, but this just isn't the case. There are only four species of poisonous snakes native to Tennessee; below are some handy tips for identifying and avoiding them on your Tennessee vacation.

The Copperhead: Found throughout the state, the copperhead accounts for the majority of bites in Tennessee, although deaths from them are very rare because their also the least venomous snake of the four. They grow to be about 24-36 inches, and have a distinct copper-colored head (hence the name) while the rest of their body is a light brown with darker brown bands that narrow in the center.

A shy snake, the copperhead likes to make its home in forgotten wood piles, grassy fields, and anywhere else that provides adequate cover with little human contact but plenty of mice. In general, this snake will choose to flee over fighting, but it can issue a warning by whipping its tail against leaves to mimic the sound of a rattle.

The Western Cottonmouth: The cottonmouth (also referred to as the water moccasin) is the only poisonous aquatic snake in the state of Tennessee and probably the one that causes the most confusion. There is a tendency to assume all swimming snakes with a white mouth are cottonmouths, but the fact of the matter is that all Tennessee snakes have white mouths; the cottonmouth gets its name not because it has a white mouth, but because when frightened, it will open its mouth widely as a threat display.

Other identifying features of a cottonmouth include its ability to swim on top of the water with its head elevated, though they often swim beneath the water while hunting and can bite in the water (swimmers beware). They'll also shake their tail when threatened, a behavior shared with no other water snake. The cottonmouth's bands are hour glassed shaped, and some of the adults appear almost completely black. Since they are pit vipers (as are all the venomous snakes in Tennessee), they have two pits on their triangular heads (looks like nostrils under the eye) unlike other water snakes.

Cottonmouths can be found naturally in the calm back waters and swamps west of the Tennessee River and in Dickson, Perry, Hickman, Cheatham, Humphreys, Williamson and Wayne counties. If you're traveling in East Tennessee, the western cottonmouth isn't really a concern.

The Timber Rattlesnake: The timber rattlesnake lives in wooded areas with plenty of rodents throughout the state. It's a large snake, growing to between 36-60 inches with a thick, heavy body. Its dark bands ring around a lighter base color, usually tan or gray, though there have been sightings of entirely black timber rattlesnakes. Like all rattlesnakes, it will rattle its tail in warning when threatened but doesn't often come in contact with humans.

The Western Pygmy Rattlesnake: A threatened species in the state, the western pygmy is a rare sight. It lives along the Tennessee River, inhabiting its floodplains and feasting on amphibians, lizards, and small mammals. Unlike the bulky timber rattlesnake, the western pygmy is tiny, rarely exceeding 20 inches. Since it's a small snake, its rattle is also little; the sound it makes when threatened is more like an insect buzz than a typical rattlesnake warning.

For more information about Tennessee snakes and other venomous creatures in Tennessee, please check out this PDF on the topic.

Sources:

Snakes of Tennessee, Venomous or Not?, Lisa Powers

Snakes of Tennessee, Is it a Cottonmouth?, Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation