jollyjak said:
I would like to know how common it is to come across snakes in the wild,particularly the venomous ones.As you can imagine, we do not get anything like that here. Also, is there anything else we should know about,like spiders. I wouldn't go near a spider anyway but my daughter is likely to pick up anything she sees.For a girl she is very un-squeamish,not like my son who would run if he saw anything move that was not a dog or cat. :eek1:
Chase City is in Mecklenburg County. Mecklenburg County is in south central Virginia.
Unfortunately, snakes are becoming rarer (not just in Virginia) as habitat is developed, but they are by no means rare in Virginia.
First, let me say Virginia is not crawling with snakes. We have a lot, far more than you might think. But they mostly stay out of sight. You WILL NOT be bothered by snakes whereevy you live in Virginia.
By far, the most common large snake you will see would be the Black Rat Snake. They are very closely related to Corn Snakes, and can get very large - up to 8 feet. They eat mice, rats, squirrels, small rabbits, bats, birds etc. They are fantastic to have around. They are totally harmless.
BTW, the Corn Snake is native to Mecklenburg County
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And there are a host of other snakes native to that area: Rough Green Snakes, Black Racers, Kingsnakes, Milksnakes, Ring Necks, etc. All harmless to humans.
However, Virginia does have 5 species and subspecies of venomous snakes POTENTIALLY dangerous to humans:
1A) Northern Copperhead
1B) Southern Copperhead
2) Eastern Cottonmouth
3A) Timber Rattlesnake
3B) Canebrake Rattlesnake
The Northern and Southern Copperheads are pit vipers. Both would be native to Mecklenburg County. In fact, they are native to all areas of the state and are relatively common in some areas. The good thing is they are easy to recognize, generally don't get very big, are not aggressive, and have a relatively mild form of hemotoxic venom. They are very beautiful snakes. You chances of seeing one of these at one time or another is pretty good.
The Cottonmouth, aka Water Mocassin, is a relatively large and heavy, highly aquatic, pit viper that resides in low lying areas never far from fresh water. This is actually my favorite snake and I seek them out every year in a park in Newport News. They are not SUPPOSED to be found in Mecklenburg County, but I've seen them outside their supposed range in three counties, including the county neighboring Mecklenburg County. These snakes pack a punch with highly hemotoxic venom. A bite from one of these would be a very serious matter. If the right habitat could be found in Mecklenburg, I would bet Cottonmouths would be present.
The Timber and Canebrake Rattlesnakes are essentially the same snake. The Timber is found in the hills and mountains in the western part of the state. They are very common there if you know where to look. The Canebrake would be found in the extreme southeastern corner of the state, but is rare and is on the state Endangered Species list. The Timber has a highly hemotoxic venom, and the Canebrake has a highly hemotoxic and neurotoxic venom. I don't believe either is likely to be found in Mecklenburg County.
If you are interested in the wildlife of Virginia, I recommend you peruse the website of the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries. Here is the main site:
http://www.dgif.virginia.gov/ Here is he site dealing with reptiles of Virginia:
http://www.dgif.virginia.gov/wildlife/information/?t=3
Don't worry about snakes, not even venomous ones. Consider yourself lucky if you see them. But teach your kids what is Ok to pick up, and what isn't.
