lucky i have never been bitten , but saw my friend get bit in the hand by a rattler, it wasnt pretty, the way he described the pain, was put your hand down on the concrete and let me smash it with a sledge hammer, and thats what he said he was feeling.

I am not a herpetologist but I did stay at Holiday Inn last night....

Seriously, there are three "Types" of venomous snakes in Texas, Coral Snakes(Micrurus Fulvious), Water Moccasins and Copper Heads (Both in the Agkistrodon family), and Rattlers (Crotalus and Sistrurus).

The Rattlers pose the most danger to adults due to size, toxicity and the amount of venom that can be injected. Also, some of the westernmost species have a "blended" venom which contains both hemotoxic and neurotoxic properties.

Copperheads are the most often encountered venomous species although somewhat less dangerous due to smaller amounts of less toxic venom. Something to remember, smaller/younger snakes have less "control" over their venom injection system and will usually "Dump" everything in their glands resulting in a more serious bite than one would get from an adult snake.

Coral snakes are the single most venomous species in Texas although a coral snake bite is extremely rare due to their secretive nature and rear fangs that require more effort to effect a bite and envenomation. Coral snake carry a neurotoxic venom that is very serious, can cause respiratory and cardiac issues and must be addressed as soon as possible.

Water Moccasins are slightly more dangerous than copperheads but are usually more feared due to their perceived aggressiveness. (If you think water moccasins are aggressive, corner a full grown coachwhip!!!)

Tips to keep your yard snake free (Mostly)during the drought:

Snake-proofing your home

* Keep grass and branches cut short

* Don't stack fireplace logs around your home and clean up branches and brush

* Seal off any cracks or spacing around your air-conditioning units as snakes will sneak inside to find water.

* Place water along the edges of your property that snakes can access so they don't come closer to your home in search of water.

* Don't kill non-venomous snakes found near your home. They feed on rodents who might invite venomous snakes into the area if the other snakes aren't around to consume them.

Of the Rattlers in Texas the most dangerous are in order:

Timber or CaneBrake (Crotalus Horridus) hemo-neuro toxic venom in large quantities

Mojave rattler (Crotalus Scututalus) extremely potent neurotoxic components, found only in extreme west Texas.

Banded or Mottled Rock Rattlers (Crotalus Lepidus) again a hemo-neuro toxic venom.

And lastly the Western Diamondback (Crotalus atrox) it's hemotoxic venom is not particularly potent but the fat that it CAN administer an extremely large dose makes it very formidable.

There are other species, but generally these are the "Big 4" for rattlers in Texas. ANY rattlesnake bite, or snakebite in general, should be treated by qualified medical personnel as soon as possible.

They are called worm snakes. Harmless and don't get much larger than 6". My kids love to play with them.

Every rattler I have ever seen/killed in west tx has never even hinted at rattling...scary stuff

Seldom run across one here but if I should, he wont have much time to rattle!

that about right I was bit in the toes so it was like you took a axe
and split your foot wide open, it was dark when i stepped on it
never saw it coming almost fell hopped to the porch fell pushed away
the blood saw the holes leg swelled for four days then took about three
for the swelling to go away ...

I have heard this for the last three years now and I still laugh every time I hear it. Don't know how this got started, must have been some article some self proclaimed expert wrote, that someone read, but think about it?

How does all those dead or eaten snakes tell the other snakes that they better not rattle because a hog might eat them?

That's funny!

no but what can happen is rattling snakes getting eaten, more passive snakes that dont rattle live anoher day, after so many years you might be left with non rattlin rattlers

Charles Darwin called it natural selection

I was bitten by a Diamond back.Minor bite ;but had years of complications.Only spent one day in the hospital-the bill was $70,000!

Wonder what he calls you, bro, when you're not around? Was that descriptor really necessary to tell the tale?

Cotton mouth's are far more common than people think in North Texas. I have seen many on lake lavon and small creeks and ponds. Don't think you won't come across them because that's when you do. Don't be a wimp and run away just step away slowly and respect em. Every moccasin I have come across has been in strike position but wandered off after I did not challenge it.

I know I've come face to face with 3 of the four. When I was a kid (many years ago) I wandered away from my school group that was visiting the Fort Worth Nature Center and stepped right in the path of a good sized copperhead. I was frozen in fear as stared me down...then out of the blue the tour guide swooped me up as another guide put a world of hurt on the snake with a hoe. Needless to say I got some religion about snakes that day. Later on in life I also saw a rattler sleeping on a bait bucket on a cold day up at the Sheppard AFB Rec Annex's marina (that freaked me out because anyone just reaching down for that bucket of minnows would have gotten it big time!!) I grabbed a very long pole and dumped that critter back in the lake. Was surprised how well they swim. Also had very aggressive water moccasin that tried it's best to crawl up my line while fishing the banks up at Sheppard. Have seen the coral snake yet...could be happy never seeing one really. Hate freekin' snakes, but they seem to find me. Lucky huh? *lol*

There is only one kind of good snake - THATS A DEAD SNAKE!!!!!!!