

Place a lid on the container and secure it. The broom handle should keep you safely beyond the snake’s striking distance.Īlternatively, the tines of a potato rake or a hoe can be carefully slipped under the center of a snake to quickly lift the snake into a container. Set the container upright and secure the lid. If you don’t want to come into contact with the snake, you can lay a trash container on its side in front of the snake and gently sweep it into the container. The easiest way to capture a snake is to put on a pair of gloves, pick the snake up, and release it outside. Snakes can be safely removed alive from a site. The cottonmouth is found only in southern Illinois, and the copperhead is found in the southern two-thirds of the state. The timber rattlesnake is listed as state threatened. The massasauga is listed as state endangered. There are only four species of venomous snakes native to Illinois.

Snake venom may cause tissue or nerve damage to humans, but a snake bite is usually not fatal to humans if proper medical treatment is received. Venomous snakes use their venom to kill birds and small mammals that they eat. They should be left alone so they can provide this important pest service. In Illinois, it is found no farther north than Carbondale, in the southern part of the state.īoth nonvenomous and venomous snakes benefit homeowners and gardeners by eating invertebrates and rodents. Only one species of watersnake, the cottonmouth, is venomous. “Water moccasin” is a general term used by the public to refer to all seven species of Illinois’ water snakes.
LOTS OF SNAKES HANGING FROM TREES IN SOUTHERN ILLINOIS HOW TO
Learn how to distinguish between a fox snake and a massasauga. The eastern foxsnake ( Pantherophis vulpinus) is sometimes confused with the similarly looking massasauga ( Sistrurus catenatus). Since a number of species of snakes vibrate their tails when they feel threatened, people sometimes mistakenly confuse them for rattlesnakes. Several of the nonvenomous snake species are commonly misidentified as one of the four venomous species found in Illinois. Photo: Scott Ballard A northern watersnake. You can find more information about snakes in Illinois her e: SNAKES OF ILLINOIS-2019 Nonvenomous Snakes If you see a photo that looks like the species you saw, then you can click on the photo to get information about that particular species. If you don’t know what the species is, click on the text to work through the key. Additionally, the Prairie Research Institute’s Illinois Natural History Survey has the Illinois Species page to help people figure out what species of snake they have found. The photo gallery at the bottom of the page provides information about many of the snakes found in Illinois. Contact an IDNR District Wildlife Biologist.Rare Visitors to Illinois: Cougar, Wolf, and Black Bear.Repair Damage: What to Know Before Making Repairs.
