Snake! Now is prime time to learn, enjoy
We'd all be happier if identifying snakes was more a challenge than a matter of fear
From the start the intention was to post the photo of that snake on Facebook with no comment, literally with the words “posting w/no comment.”
I put it on my personal page and on with a couple of groups, the Oklahoma Hunting and Fishing group and the Oklahoma Snake Identification Network.
Taking note of the reactions was the idea.
At first sight of this snake I was a little excited because I thought, maybe, but not likely, but maybe, it could be a water moccasin, sometimes called cottonmouth, Agkistrodon piscivorus, a venomous close relative of another well-known Oklahoma pit viper, the copperhead, Agkistrodon contortrix.
On approach, slowly, slowly, I could see over the grass and see a little more of the snake.
It’s one of those moments where your inner dialogue goes something like, “Oooh! Oh. Well, ahhh, maybe? Nah it’s not. OK.”
But I immediately pulled out my phone to take photos because, this partial view of an unknown snake is how we so commonly come across a harmless water snake, in this case a diamondback water snake, Nerodia rhombifer.
The long taper of the tail, even though the end of the tail was not visible, told me “not a moccasin.” The snake was dry and dusty so I didn’t come up with “diamondback” over the other species of water snake until I looked at the photo later and edited to boost the contrast.
On my personal page it drew about 31 comments and 20 reactions, seven of which were the open-mounted “wow” emoji. One person reacted with a heart emoji, and it wasn’t even my mom!
It’s the time of year we see a lot of snakes and I hope for more and more people to simply approach them with curious caution and enjoy the opportunity, rather than immediately killing it or running away with a scream.
The first comment was, “Where was this? Looks like one to avoid!!” Someone chimed in pretty quickly to label it a harmless water snake “for those worried.”
Some good chuckles from my Alaska friends, one of whom noted, “Why I live in Alaska and shall stay here.” Lol.
My old friend Brett Swanger probably saw through to what I was doing and commented, “There are always those things that make you say “Hmmmm.”
On the typically entertaining Oklahoma Hunting and Fishing group it drew 39 reactions, 8 of which were “wow” and three of whisch were laughing emojis.
No hearts there. (insert sad face emjoi)
It’s a group that loves a funny memes and comments like, “open its mouth & see if it looks like cotton.” A few other comments were along the lines of “I’m not sure” and “Dang that’s a tough call” and a general idea that it would be a good idea to just leave this “nope rope” alone if you’re not sure. (good idea)
Several more accurately identified it as a water snake and bunch wanted nothing to do with it whether it was venomous or not.
On the Oklahoma Snake Identification group’s page it drew four likes and two simple comments. Admin Tyler Albertson wrote “Diamondback Water snake (Nerodia Rhombifer) Harmless,” and one more person commented of “Sleepy.”
Both of which were extremly accurate.
So, if you want a giggle you know where to go for snake information on Facebook. If you want a simple, accurate answer, go to the experts.
It’s the time of year we see a lot of snakes and I hope for more and more people to simply approach them with curious caution and enjoy the opportunity, rather than immediately killing it or running away with a scream.
Over the years I’ve heard from many readers who ask for some kind of warning on snake columns because they get the willies even looking at a photo. Avoidance gets you nowhere down here, sooner or later you’re going to see snakes up close and in person. It’s a fear you’d do well to tackle if you have even the slightest capability, and education is a great way to start.
The Oklahoma Snake Identification Network page is a no-gotcha, no-nonsense zone and to their credit the admins identify dozens of photos and engage in informative conversation. If you fear snakes, it’s a handy place to start learning.
Another great online resource is Aaron Goodwin’s OKSNAKES.org, which he started in the 1990s to create a service very similar to what the Facebook page accomplishes. But it’s a web site with drag-down menus to let you look for snakes by descriptions—venomous, non-venomous, patterned, solid, striped—with several photos of most Oklahoma snakes.
Last but certainly not least, the latest edition of the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation’s, “A Field Guide to Okalkhoma’s Amphibians and Reptiles” by Greg and Lynnette Sievert.
Snakes get a lot of attention, but Oklahoma has a huge variety of reptiles and amphibians and the field guide highlights 58 amphibian and 94 reptile species and subspecies, all of which live within the borders of this state. Every Oklahoman should own one of these guides.
It’s $20 and you can find it in the “Outdoors store” in the Go Outdoors Oklahoma app or wildlifedepartment.com. To be honest, finding the link to the store is about as easy as spotting a horned toad on a tan rock, but it is there. Scroll all the way to the bottom of the home page and look in the list under “Quick Links.”
Good read, there are still to many people who think the only good snake is a dead snake.