Yikes San Angelo Snake Season Begins...How to Spot Danger

The warm weather means more snakes. There are a variety of snakes that live in the Concho Valley. While many are harmless. You want to be on the lookout for these snakes....

EdwardSnow

Rattlesnakes

The western diamondback rattlesnakes are the most common venomous snakes in the area. When you hear them rattling, they are usually trying to warn you away. If you don't heed the warning you could end up with a life threatening bite.

Photo: Joshua J Cotton Unsplash

The baby snakes are even more dangerous. They don't know how to control their venom dosage and they will give you all they've got in one bite.

Copperheads

Copperheads are colorful and have striking patterns. Unlike the rattlesnakes, they can bite you without any warning. Their first bite is usually a "dry bite" or warning bite without venom. You don't want to give them a second chance. They have a bright copper tan, pink color with light and dark brown shades.

David Kenny

Cottonmouth or Water Moccasin

Here in West Texas, cottonmouths are rare, but seeing one is not impossible. They live in the water or around the banks. They can deliver a painful and fatal bite. They are very dark in color and get darker with age. There are harmless water snakes and it is important to know the difference. If you see only the head of a snake sticking out of the water it's probably nonvenomous. If the whole body is moving on top of the water, run.

Photo By Lew Scharpf via YouTube

There are a lot of beautiful harmless and even beneficial snakes that live in West Texas. We'll feature them coming soon.