By Alisha Brewer
Spring has sprung! As so many of us are out enjoying the sunshine and beautiful weather we become more likely to cross paths with some of the critters that we share our home with-particularly snakes. I know so many Vail residents want to be respectful and conscious of these neighbors. After all, snakes play a vital part in keeping unwanted, damaging, pooping pests away. Our nonvenomous king snake is a great snake to have around because it hunts and eats rattlesnakes! But, when you find a snake in a corner on your patio, checking out the kid’s play area, making its way across your front walkway, or even stuck in your pool’s skimmer basket it often ignites an immediate increase in heart rate and a sense of panic. That’s ok! That feeling is your fight or flight response (the snakes have it too) and it’s totally normal. Here are the answers to some of the questions that your brain may be trying to process.
Is it a good snake or a bad snake?
The answer is, neither! It is simply a snake going about its day. It’s not out to get you, your kids, or your pets. In fact, it will go out of its way to avoid contact all together.
Is it venomous or nonvenomous?
Ah, now this is the big question. Nonvenomous snakes are abundant in Tucson. They have teeth, but no venom. A bite from one still isn’t fun, but they are harmless to humans. They kill their prey by constricting it or even just swallowing it alive. Almost all nonvenomous snakes have oval or pill shaped heads that seem to flow right into their body- it’s not clearly defined where their head stops and their body starts. They have round pupils to match those little round heads. They have nostrils but no heat sensing pits- which look almost like an extra pair of nostrils.
My favorite thing about nonvenomous snakes is that some will try really hard to fool you into thinking that they are dangerous. Our sonoran gopher snake for example, has a similar banding pattern to a rattlesnake, so it already looks the part. But when threatened it will curl up like a rattlesnake and shake its little rattleless tail as fast as it can. Gopher snakes will flatten out their heads to give it the more triangular shape of a rattler (how amazing is that?!?) and it will even throw in loud hissing noises to finish off its impressive performance. And the Academy Award goes to… Unfortunately, gopher snakes are so convincing that humans will often kill them in a case of mistaken identity.
Venomous snakes, which I’ve heard lovingly referred to as “danger noodles”, are also part of our native wildlife here in Tucson. These guys pack a punch. Depending on the type of snake, their venom can cause paralysis, blood cell bursting and tissue death. Not all, but many venomous snakes, have triangular shaped heads- they are very pronounced. Rattlesnakes, as their name suggests, will have rattles at the tip of their tail. Rattlesnakes have vertically shaped pupils. They will also have heat pits to sense their prey which are small holes, sometimes hard to see, located in between their eyes and their nostrils.
Should I slay the slithering serpent?
If you think that you might have a venomous snake that’s a little too close for comfort, do not take action into your own hands. I understand that for some the sight of a snake evokes the mantra from the Queen of Hearts herself, “Off with their heads!” Here’s the thing, most people get bit while trying to handle or kill a snake. Do not put yourself in harm’s way and don’t forget antivenom will cost you an arm and a leg. (Plus, nobody really likes the Queen of Hearts, she’s kind of a bully. So, don’t be the villain.) Instead jump on the phone, call 911, your local fire department or a snake removal service- there’s a bunch if you do a simple google search. Most charge a nominal fee, some even take optional donations to safely remove and relocate the snake to a more appropriate area.
Spotting the difference between venomous and nonvenomous snakes is not always easy, especially when so many nonvenomous snakes are masters of mimicry. Always give any snake plenty of space. Admire it from a distance and let it go about its day. If you are concerned, don’t hesitate to call an expert. Remember, a little knowledge and understanding goes a long way to help make any fear that one might have of snakes hiss-tory.
Alisha Brewer is a veteran zoo keeper of nearly 15 years. U of A alum. Boy mom, veggie dog connoisseur, anti Oxford comma and eternal optimist. Alisha hopes to connect residents to the incredible creatures that surround us.
