In my area of North Central Missouri, we have two venomous snakes. Copperheads, and timber rattlesnakes. The timber rattlesnakes are very seldom seen. I've only seen one in my lifetime. With all the rain we've been having, I've seen quite a few snakes on my bank fishing trips. The heavy spring rains flush these snakes out, and I always see more at this time of year. At one small lake I fish, there's a guy I've seen fishing there with his son. Last time I saw him, he told me he won't fish this lake anymore, because it's infested with water moccasins. This is wrong, and what he's seeing are common dark colored water snakes. They're non venomous. We don't have water moccasins in this part of Missouri. Black snakes are common here also. They can get big, and look intimidating, but again, they're not venomous. Of course, any of these snakes will coil up, and possibly bite you if they're cornered or harassed. In all my years, this has never happened, and they always avoid any confrontation. My conservation department puts out a pamphlet, which shows color detailed photos of all the snakes in the state. Just thought I might put this out there, especially for the bank fisherman here. Learn to identify the snakes in your area, and know which ones are venomous and non venomous. And, it goes without saying, watch where you walk in the tall grass. Can you identify the snakes that live around your lakes?
