Virginia has greater than thirty snake species gliding and slithering its territory. Interestingly, solely three of those are venomous, and all belong to the rattlesnake household; the cottonmouth, copperhead, and timber rattlesnake. While these snakes are unfold throughout the state, some areas have a tendency to offer the best combine of things, from ample meals and ideally suited temperature to excellent cowl, for them to thrive, leading to huge snake populations.
This article will make clear the areas most infested with snakes in Virginia and take a look at the components that entice them to the world. When venturing into the state’s wilderness, whether or not mountaineering or tenting, it’s essential to know what to do when encountering a snake to keep away from a nasty final result. Unlike well-liked perception, snakes will not be out to chew or hurt us; quite the opposite, they’re merely looking for a meal and keep away from predators.
Smith Mountain Lake
Smith Mountain Lake is a large waterbody in Virginia’s Roanoke area and the state’s second-largest lake. It straddles the cities of Lynchburg and Roanoke, providing 500 miles of lovely shoreline for limitless recreation. From swimming and fishing to boating and jet snowboarding, adventurers congregate right here to reap the benefits of its various alternatives. Along the shores of the lake, you can find thick forests and shrubs inhabited by small animals like lizards and amphibians.
This abundance of prey and a readily accessible water supply attracts an enormous snake inhabitants to the world, such because the jap hognose snake, jap ribbon snake, northern water snake, and black rat snake. While these will not be venomous, the copperhead and cottonmouth have been noticed within the Smith Mountain Lake area.
Douthat State Park
Douthat State Park is Virginia’s second-largest state park, overlaying over 4,500 acres within the Allegheny Mountains. It homes various types of landscapes, together with a 50-acre lake, presenting the ultimate playground for out of doors adventures like mountaineering, tenting, swimming, and chook watching. The huge nature space can also be a habitat for every kind of small animals, from rodents, amphibians, and reptiles to little birds. All this prey feeds a large inhabitants of snake species, together with the jap hog-nosed snake, the black snake, frequent water snakes, and the toxic timber rattlesnake.
Being a hub for various recreation actions, encounters between people and snakes in Douthat State Park are a mainstay. While most of those snakes will not be toxic, giving any snake you could come across a large berth is suggested. The timber rattlesnake could be territorial and really aggressive when confronted by a perceived menace, leading to a chew.
Dismal Swamp
The Great Dismal Swamp is an enormous wetland within the Coastal Plain Region, spreading throughout northeastern North Carolina and southeastern Virginia. At almost 113,000 acres, it’s a important wildlife habitat on the East Coast and home to every kind of animals, from deer and bears to raccoons and river otters. The space is product of cypress swamps, forest flooring, and marshes that additionally entice a sheer variety of snake species, such because the northern water snakes, copperheads, cottonmouths, and pygmy rattlesnakes. The bountiful prey attracts these specifically: amphibians, small reptiles, animals, and birds.
The Dismal Swamp affords an array of recreation alternatives, which draw boaters, anglers, nature viewers, and hunters, making human-snake interactions inevitable. However, one of the best ways to keep away from these snakes is to remain on the boat and ignore venturing into the water, as that is the place they reside.
Northwest River Natural Area Preserve
The Northwest River Natural Area Preserve is an expansive nature space in Chesapeake, spanning over 2,700 acres alongside the Northwest River. It encompasses a wealthy mixture of habitats, comprising wetlands, upland forests, marshes, and swamps, and presenting a paradise for several types of species, together with ribbon snakes, northern water snakes, tough inexperienced snakes, and canebrake rattlesnakes. With no public access available to the protect, the habitat stays undisturbed by human exercise, permitting the snake inhabitants to develop exponentially.
Furthermore, sufficient prey, comparable to lizards, squirrels, and birds, is within the space to maintain the large numbers comfortably. Snake bites will not be so frequent right here as a result of remoteness of the world, however a couple of explorers managed to achieve them by boat, inquisitive about discovering the pure paradise.
Blackwater Ecologic Preserve
Located in Zuni, Virginia, the Blackwater Ecological Preserve spans greater than 300 acres of uncooked wilderness and is below the possession of Old Dominion University. A combination of flatwood forests, longleaf pine savannas, and lowland swamps current optimum situations for numerous snake species to thrive, looking alongside the sides of the woodland. One of the most typical snakes within the space is the northern copperhead, and rare visitation by people into the park has allowed the snake inhabitants to outlive pointless persecution and thrive.
This is as a result of the general public has to make prior preparations with the college to tour the venue. With most excursions being guided, the probabilities of human-snake conflicts are few and much between on the protect, permitting for cover of the snake habitat.
Lake Gaston
Lake Gaston is located alongside the Virginia-North Carolina border, internet hosting a good inhabitants of fish species, from catfish and largemouth bass to striped bass, and attracting anglers in search of a catch. The stunning lake, with calm waters, is a well-liked recreation spot for swimmers, boaters, paddle-boarders, and campers. Despite its alluring magnificence, Lake Gaston is among the most snake-infested areas in Virginia, harboring species just like the venomous copperhead and cottonmouth. Considering how well-liked a recreation escape the lake is, encounters between snakes and people are very prevalent.
According to the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, the world information one of many highest snake chew circumstances within the state. Any unwarranted interactions that will threaten the snake, together with stepping on or pestering them, regrettably find yourself with a chew. On the flip aspect, this additionally means the snakes are adversely persecuted by people, who deem them to be an automated menace upon encountering them.
Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge
The Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge could be discovered on the southeastern aspect of Virginia Beach, and it was established to offer a sanctuary for migrating waterfowl. It encompasses a vary of habitats, from freshwater marshes to shrublands, beachfronts, scrublands, and upland forests. The nature space is a perfect habitat for various species of amphibians, mammals, reptiles, birds, and fish, which find yourself supplying the weight-reduction plan for the sizeable inhabitants of northern water snakes, jap hognose snakes, saltmarsh snakes, black rat snakes, and the toxic cottonmouths.
Outdoor alternatives abound on the Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge, which is open to the general public for these searching for biking, mountaineering, kayaking, sightseeing, and surf fishing adventures. This means bumping right into a snake or two is frequent when exploring the huge pure area. The greatest plan of action in such a state of affairs is to keep away from getting shut or demonstrating any type of aggression.
Prince William Forest Park
This sprawling pure space in northern Virginia has welcomed thrill seekers and journey lovers to discover the nice open air for the reason that Thirties. Secluded from the city facilities, it’s an oasis harboring various natural world, made up of woodlands, flowing streams, and grassy areas, permitting quite a lot of wildlife to thrive. Besides smaller mammals and amphibians, snakes are frequent in Prince William Forest Park, usually basking on the rocky outcrops alongside Quantico Creek. Some of the frequent species embody the venomous northern copperhead and timber rattlesnake, and the non-poisonous northern ringneck, jap garter snake, and black rat snake.
Hosting scenic biking and mountaineering trails, remoted picnic spots, and tenting cabins, the park sees a whole lot of human actions, with many adventurers encountering snakes alongside their path. In such a case, you might be suggested to seek out an alternate route across the snake and keep away from pestering it.
Cherry Orchard Bog Natural Area
This 354-acre pure protect straddles the counties of Prince George and Sussex and helps a various assortment of uncommon flora, from purple pitcher crops and large-flowered camass to white-fringed orchids. The protect additionally helps completely different wildlife-seeking habitats within the wetlands, shrublands, and woodlands that dominate the park. With a lot greenery within the space, a bustling inhabitants of rodents, amphibians, reptiles, and bugs ensures a steady weight-reduction plan provide for the southern ring snakes and jap hognose snakes that inhabit the area.
The protected standing of the Cherry Orchard Bog Natural Area Preserve limits human exercise within the space, permitting the snake populations to develop. Fortunately, the few individuals who get to access it don’t have to fret about venomous snakes in case of encounters.
Lake Anna
One of the most important freshwater lakes in mainland Virginia, Lake Anna spans almost 13,000 acres with a 200-mile shoreline. The giant mass of water is well-liked amongst boaters, campers, water skiers, kayakers, and different water enjoyable lovers. Forming a part of Lake Anna State Park, it’s surrounded by woodlands, grasslands, and shrublands, creating the opportune habitat for various kinds of species, from fish and small mammals to reptiles and bugs. With a lot prey on provide, snakes are a standard phenomenon in Lake Anna, with a diversified choice of species making an look.
Some of those embody the jap price snake, the northern water snake, and the copperhead. While a lot of the species right here will not be toxic, the copperhead carries venom that may hurt you after a chew. Luckily, they’re typically docile, and a lot of the bites reported right here consequence from curious pets approaching them.
Assateague Island National Seashore
The Assateague Island National Seashore is a phenomenal nature area straddling the coastal lowlands of Virginia and Maryland, recognized for its herd of untamed horses. The space encompasses a combination of habitats, starting from salt marshes and sandy seashores to coastal bays and marine forests. Furthermore, completely different species of snakes could be discovered on the island, together with the black rat snake, the jap hognose snake, and the northern water snake, which prefers to occupy the freshwater and salt marshes. Not many snake species can survive within the area resulting from its geographical isolation and the unfriendly nature of the salt water. Thanks to the island’s protected standing, human exercise is proscribed, permitting the snake inhabitants to develop with out interruption.
Final Thoughts
Virginia’s diversified landscapes, from swampland and coastal marshes to forested hills, provide prime snake habitat with various species discovered nowhere else. While the frequent response for most individuals upon encountering a snake is to take off or persecute it, you will need to be aware that snakes will not be out looking people however prey. Furthermore, they play an necessary function within the ecosystem that helps steadiness the inhabitants of varied small animals, therefore the necessity to peacefully coexist with them. So take the initiative right now to guard snake infested areas in Virginia habitats and forestall their persecution by spreading consciousness among the many public.
