Those of us who’re petrified of snakes do not prefer it when specialists inform us that, for a wide range of causes, we should always by no means kill snakes. That they’re pure predators to unwelcome vermin and different snakes would not appear to matter. We don’t need them round. Period.
But once more, snake haters do not care which of them are endangered, which of them are useful, or which of them do extra good than hurt. To many people ophidiophobes (phrase of the day), it is a “simply make all of them go away” perspective.
But we should not need them ALL to go away; there are species who do us a strong due to their predatory and dietary tendencies. Unfortunately these snakes that do fend off and destroy the venomous ones usually resemble the very serpents we wish them to kill. And that places them in peril.
Poisonous Indiana Snakes and Their Slithery Predators
The 4 toxic species of snakes in Indiana are the timber rattler, japanese massasauga, cottonmouth, and copperhead. However, the copperhead is the one one in every of nice concern; the opposite three are uncommon sufficient within the Hoosier State that they are listed as endangered. And the massasauga is even on an inventory of FEDERALLY threatened pit vipers.
This appears apparent, nevertheless it’s all the time a good suggestion to know the variations between the venomous snakes and their doppelgangers; we wish these non-venomous “dopplegangers” to remain wholesome. Fortunately, Indiana is home to a few species that prey on the toxic ones. The milk snake, for instance, has been recognized to devour rattlesnakes.
And then there’s the yellow-bellied kingsnake–also referred to as the prairie kingsnake–which SPECIALIZES in consuming toxic snakes.
Yellow-bellied kingsnakes have an immunity to the venom of pit vipers, so it is good to acknowledge how they differ in colour from copperheads; the 2 species look very a lot alike. Let’s shield these milk snakes, too. Their prey IS among the many uncommon venomous species in Indiana, however the enemy of my enemy is my buddy.
In different phrases, the milk snakes keep.
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