snakesposter .pdf

SNAKES Of east tennessee
EAST TENNESSEE IS HOME TO 23 SPECIES OF SNAKES;
ONLY 2 OF THESE ARE VENOMOUS.
VENOMOUS SNAKES
FOUND IN EAST TENNESSEE

NONVENOMOUS SNAKES
FOUND IN EAST TENNESSEE

Photo by David Scott

Photo by John White

Photo by David Scott

Photo by John White

Photo by John White

BLACK KINGSNAKE

SCARLET KINGSNAKE

EASTERN MILKSNAKE

MOLE KINGSNAKE

RING-NECKED SNAKE

Lampropeltis niger

Lampropeltis elapsoides

Lampropeltis triangulum

Lampropeltis rhombomaculata

Diadophis punctatus

LEAD PHASE

Photo by Cryste Atnip

Photo by Jeremy Hamlington

TIMBER RATTLESNAKE

COPPERHEAD

Crotalus horridus

Agkistrodon contortrix

TAN PHASE

COTTONMOUTHS (Agkistrodon piscivorus) DO NOT OCCUR IN EAST
TENNESSEE. MOST REPORTED SIGHTINGS CAN BE ATTRIBUTED
TO MISIDENTIFICATION OF THE NORTHERN WATERSNAKE.
Photo by John White

Photo by John White

Photo by John White

Photo by David Scott

Photo by Dennis Desmond

SMOOTH EARTHSNAKE

EASTERN WORMSNAKE

RED-BELLIED SNAKE

DEKAY’S BROWNSNAKE

Virginia valeriae

Carphophis amoenus

Storeria occipitomaculata

Storeria dekayi

Photo by David Scott

COTTONMOUTH
Agkistrodon piscivorus

Photo by David Scott

Photo by John White

Photo by John White

Photo by John White

Photo by John White

SCARLETSNAKE

RATSNAKE

CORNSNAKE

BLACK RACER

Cemophora coccinea

Elaphe spiloides

Elaphe guttata

Coluber constrictor

ROUGH GREENSNAKE
Opheodrys aestivus

VENOMOUS OR NONVENOMOUS
HEAT PIT

NOSTRIL
ROUND PUPIL

ELIPTICAL PUPIL

NOSTRIL

Photo by John White

Photo by John White

Photo by David Scott

Photo by David Scott

Photo by David Scott

QUEEN SNAKE

EASTERN RIBBONSNAKE

COMMON GARTERSNAKE

NORTHERN PINESNAKE

SOUTHEASTERN CROWNED SNAKE

Regina septemvittata

Thamnophis sauritus

Thamnophis sirtalis

Pituophis melanoleucus

Tantilla coronata

Photo by Scott Dykes

Photo by John White

VENOMOUS SNAKES IN EAST TENNESSEE CAN BE IDENTIFIED BY
THE PRESENCE OF HEAT SENSING PITS BEHIND THE NOSTRILS
AND ELIPTICAL PUPILS.
Photo by David Scott

Photo by David Scott

EASTERN HOG-NOSED SNAKE

NORTHERN WATERSNAKE

Heterodon platirhinos

Nerodia sipedon

NONVENOMOUS SNAKES LACK HEAT SENSING PITS AND HAVE
ROUND PUPILS.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE SNAKES OF EAST TENNESSEE, CONTACT PETE WYATT OR SCOTT DYKES, TWRA REGION IV NONGAME BIOLOGISTS.

Acknowledgements: Dr. Floyd Scott, Austin Peay State University
Lisa Powers, Froghaven Farm
Contributing Photographers