Venomous snakes in Texas you need to know about

According to Texas Parks and Wildlife, there are four kinds of venomous snakes in Texas.

When out at a park it’s important to watch where you step, put your hands, or sit down.

If you get bitten by one of these venomous snakes, get to a hospital immediately.

Here are the snakes you need to know about:

Coral snakes

There is only one species of coral snake native to Texas.

These type of snakes have band colors in order of red, yellow and black.

According to Texas Parks and Wildlife, coral snakes’ bites are dangerous, but rare.

Copperheads

Copperhead snakes have bands of gray and/or brown with a copper-colored head, and they blend in with leaves.

According to Texas Parks and Wildlife, Copperheads are so well camouflaged it is common for bites to occur when the snake is accidentally picked up or sat or laid on.

Cottonmouths (water moccasins)

According to Texas Parks and Wildlife, the cottonmouth snake can be found in marshes, swamps, ponds, lakes, ditches, and canals in East and Central Texas and along the Gulf coast.

These snakes can be can bite underwater, and are very defensive and sometimes aggressive.

Rattlesnakes

There are nine species of rattlesnakes found in Texas.

All of these snakes usually “rattle” before striking, but if surprised, they may strike before rattling.

Here are descriptions of each snake, according to Texas Parks and Wildlife:

• Western diamondback
  • Brown, diamond-shaped markings along the middle of the back and alternating black and white rings on the tail.
  • Most common and widespread venomous snake in Texas.
  • Found in all but the easternmost part of the state.
• Timber rattlesnake
  • Brown or tan with wide, dark crossbands and entirely black tail.
  • Found in the eastern third of the state in wooded areas in wet bottomlands.
• Mottled Rock rattlesnake
  • Light cream or pink background with widely spaced, dark crossbands and mottled areas between the crossbands.
  • Found in the mountainous areas of West Texas.
• Banded Rock rattlesnake
  • Similar to the mottled rock rattlesnake, but darker greenish-gray in color.
  • Found only in the extreme western tip of Texas.
• Blacktail rattlesnake
  • Gray to olive green with dark blotches along the back and a black tail.
  • Found from Central Texas throughout most of West Texas in bushes and on rocky ledges.
• Mojave rattlesnake
  • Similar to the western diamondback in markings, but smaller and more slender.
  • Found only in extreme West Texas.
• Prairie rattlesnake
  • Slender rattler that is greenish or grayish, with rounded blotches down the middle of its back.
  • Found in the grassy plains of the western third of the state.
• Western massasauga
  • Light gray, with brown oval blotches along the middle of the back and smaller blotches along each side.
  • Found through the middle of the state in grasslands, marshy and swampy areas.
• Desert massasauga
  • Lighter in color than the western massasauga, smaller and more slender.
  • Found in the Trans-Pecos, western Panhandle and the lower Rio Grande Valley.