How about a couple photos of the venomous snakes of Texas? People always talk about the "4" venomous snakes we have in Texas, but we actually have 11 species, including 8 species of rattlesnake. This came up on another thread so I thought I could consolidate it here. I don't have photos of everything, but maybe Robk can chime in with the west Texas Rattlesnakes I'm missing. Here's what I do have photos of:
We have three copperhead subspecies in the state.
Southern Copperhead. Present in the eastern third of the state, east of a line from DFW to CS to Matagorda. In much of their range in the east central and eastern portions of the state copperheads are the most abundant snake.
Young have a bright yellow tail
Broad-banded copperhead. Present in the central portion (oak prairies) and central portion of the state. Beautiful snakes.
Copperheads will sometimes climb unto small shrubs to hunt lizards or another of their favorite prey- cicadads
Probably some of yall's nightmare
We also have a third subspecies, the Trans-Pecos copperhead, but I don't have any shots of one.
Cottonmouth. Present in the eastern half of the state and west to place like Tom Green County in the Concho River. Young are colorful (see last picture) and reminiscent of copperheads, their sister taxon.
They can be near patternless
Or strikingly patterned
But are usually somewhere in between
young
Western Diamondback. Ubiquitous. Present in the wester 2/3 of the state but avoid the post oak prairies and piney woods. Up the coast to Galveston but not past Galveston Bay. Yall know this one.
Timber Rattlesnake. Eastern half of the state but the further you get west the more they stick to riparian corridors. Protected by law.
Massasauga. We have two subspecies of these small rattlers. They have diminutive rattles and don't get more that 20 inches or so. Prairie species that is spotty in distribution.
Pygmy Rattlesnake. Mostly eastern Texas but old records from the oak forests down the coast. Tiny.
Texas Coral Snake. Southern half of the state from Val Verde to Texarkana and Brownsville to Beaumont. Mostly snake eaters that are finicky, unpredictable, and sometimes common. Not a real threat to humans unless you're a dumbass.
Not pictured (and hoping Rob will chime in) are the Rock Rattlesnake, Prairie Rattlesnake, Mojave Rattlesnake, and Blacktail Rattlesnake, mostly of west Texas, that I don't have good photos of.
We have three copperhead subspecies in the state.
Southern Copperhead. Present in the eastern third of the state, east of a line from DFW to CS to Matagorda. In much of their range in the east central and eastern portions of the state copperheads are the most abundant snake.
Young have a bright yellow tail
Broad-banded copperhead. Present in the central portion (oak prairies) and central portion of the state. Beautiful snakes.
Copperheads will sometimes climb unto small shrubs to hunt lizards or another of their favorite prey- cicadads
Probably some of yall's nightmare
We also have a third subspecies, the Trans-Pecos copperhead, but I don't have any shots of one.
Cottonmouth. Present in the eastern half of the state and west to place like Tom Green County in the Concho River. Young are colorful (see last picture) and reminiscent of copperheads, their sister taxon.
They can be near patternless
Or strikingly patterned
But are usually somewhere in between
young
Western Diamondback. Ubiquitous. Present in the wester 2/3 of the state but avoid the post oak prairies and piney woods. Up the coast to Galveston but not past Galveston Bay. Yall know this one.
Timber Rattlesnake. Eastern half of the state but the further you get west the more they stick to riparian corridors. Protected by law.
Massasauga. We have two subspecies of these small rattlers. They have diminutive rattles and don't get more that 20 inches or so. Prairie species that is spotty in distribution.
Pygmy Rattlesnake. Mostly eastern Texas but old records from the oak forests down the coast. Tiny.
Texas Coral Snake. Southern half of the state from Val Verde to Texarkana and Brownsville to Beaumont. Mostly snake eaters that are finicky, unpredictable, and sometimes common. Not a real threat to humans unless you're a dumbass.
Not pictured (and hoping Rob will chime in) are the Rock Rattlesnake, Prairie Rattlesnake, Mojave Rattlesnake, and Blacktail Rattlesnake, mostly of west Texas, that I don't have good photos of.
