Snakes regarded as nonvenomous are not necessarily completely safe. The saliva of many of these snakes can contain the same toxins as the venom of their more feared relatives. Some snakes such as the gopher snake lack anything resembling venom, and others such as the hognose and garter snakes have saliva which could be considered a mild venom. After all, true snake venom is just modified saliva anyway. These so-called nonvenomous snakes lack an efficient means of delivering their saliva/venom to a human victim. Yet there are recorded cases of them envenomating and even killing people. The victims tend to be people who regularly handle snakes either professionally or as a hobby.

The most common reaction to such a bite (at least in the U.S.) is the swelling, pain, and discoloration caused by hemolytic toxins. But neurotoxins have also been identified in the saliva of some of these snakes.

More information on this subject can be found in several references. One we were able to locate was, Sherman A. Minton, Jr. "Beware: Nonpoisonous Snakes," Natural History, 87: 56, Nov 1978.

Identification

Rule One: Leave snakes alone. There is no reliable rule to distinguish which snakes are venomous and which are not. Characteristics vary greatly depending on locale and occasional individuals have atypical coloration or pattern.

Rule One, Expanded: Unless you are engaged in legitimate biological research, leave undisturbed all wildlife you encounter in the wilderness.

Move on to Coral Snakes

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