James David

Professor Carter

RC1000-164

2 April 2032

Venomous Snakes of The Americas

Growing up in rural South Carolina I have spent a lot of time outdoors and playing in the

wilderness. I have always loved all reptiles but more than anything I thought snakes were the

most fascinating. Once covid started I fell into a deep dive trying to learn as many facts as I

could about snakes. As I was working on this assignment I really had to think about why I have

had such a fascination with snakes and honestly it comes down to that I think they are really cool

and unique animals. There are over 3,500 species of snakes in the world and only about 200 of

those species have the capability to harm a human being. I would watch countless youtube

videos and read many articles about how to identify different species, where they burrow, mating

seasons, and just various facts about these animals. My favorite region of snakes to study has

always been snakes in Africa and the Middle East but recently my focus has changed more

towards snakes in North and South America. I grew up twenty minutes from the Columbia Zoo

and the terrarium has always been my favorite part. They have always had very well kept

exhibits but the terrarium and aquarium have always been exceptional. Recently after Covid the

terrarium closed for renovations and had been closed for the past three years. Over spring break

they reopened the aquarium and terrarium and that is what gave me the idea for this assignment.
 There are over 3,500 species of snakes in the world. 600 of those are venomous and only

around 200 of these snakes have the capability to lethally harm a human being. In The United

States there are about 150 species of snakes and 90% of them are non-venomous. However South

America on the other hand has some of the most snakes in the world with Brazil and Colombia

each having over 400 species alone.

South and Central America is a breeding ground for all different species and types of

snakes because of the many different ecosystems that make up these beautiful places. The

fer-de-lance snake makes up around half of all of Costa Rica's snake attacks however with recent

advancements in antivenom the death rate is almost 0%. These are very fast and easy irritable

snakes but very rarely strike above the knee but this is just because they are usually startled and

not looking to start trouble. The South American rattlesnake is found throughout the majority of

South America including Columbia, Venezuela, Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, Argentina, Peru and

Guyana. This is a very mysterious snake with not much known about them, however, it is known

they are the most venomous of the rattlesnake family and have a 75% mortality rate if untreated.

They also have a reputation for causing vision issues as well as permanent blindness. One snake

that used to mean a certain death from its very potent venom is the common lancehead. This

snake is found in banana and coffee plantations hunting small animals but with its quick strike if

spooked can administer a fast and hard blow. But, if the antivenom is administered in time you

can be easily treated. A very close relative of the common lancehead is the golden lancehead.

Their venom is much more potent than the common lancehead but there are no reported attacks

on humans by this snake however, that should not take away how strong these snakes are says an

article by India today, “The snake's venom is said to be three to five times stronger than that of

any mainland snake. Also, it's capable of melting human flesh” (India Today). They live on a
singular island off the coast of Brazil with a very small population and very few visitors;

however, it has been said that these snakes will strike a bird and the venom will kill them before

they even have the chance to fly away.

In the United States there are much less venomous snakes however there are definitely

much more dense populations of these snakes depending on the region. There are roughly thirty

different species of venomous snakes in the United States found in almost every state except

Hawaii, Maine, Rhode Island, and Alaska. Southern and southwestern states generally have the

highest number of venomous snakes including Arizona, Texas, and Florida. There are four

different types of venomous snakes in the United States including, rattle snakes,

cottonmouth/water moccasins, copperheads, and coral snakes. While these are the only

venomous snakes in the United States there are multiple species of each of these categories.

There are twenty three different types of rattlesnakes, three types of coral snakes, and two

different types of cottonmouths and copperheads. The eastern coral snake is one of the smallest

but most venomous snakes found in the United States and has the capability to kill five humans

in one strike. With that being said, there are very few fatal attacks because they mainly strike out

of warning and they rarely release more than 40% of their venom. While coral snakes may be the

most venomous, the eastern diamondback rattlesnake can grow to be by far the largest said in an

article by Dyva Segal, “The longest eastern diamondback rattlesnake ever observed was 7.8 feet

and The heaviest diamondback rattlesnake ever observed was 34 pounds” (Segal).

Canada has the fewest venomous snakes out of the United States, Central, and South

America. There are only two species of venomous snakes in Canada, the massasauga rattlesnake

and the prairie rattlesnake. Both of these species are at risk due to habitat destruction and are

only native in certain parts of Canada. The massasauga rattlesnake is native to southern Ontario
and lives in certain parts of the United States. They are very venomous however fatalities are

very uncommon due to the length of their fangs they can only inject small doses of venom. On

average there are only around sixteen reported cases a year as well considering the declining

population as well as they are not extremely aggressive but should always be left alone in nature.

In a CBC article it states, “There are only three known deaths from rattlesnake bites in Canada in

the last several decades” (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation). The Prairie rattlesnake lives in

many places other than Canada including many parts of the United states as well as parts of

Mexico. The prairie rattlesnake is also referred to as the western rattlesnake and the great plains

rattlesnake. If bitten, medical help should be seeked immediately considering in severe cases the

venom can kill a full grown man. The prairie rattlesnake is one of the most well recognized pit

vipers in the world due to their bright yellow to olive green color. These snakes can get up to 5

feet in length and have a very distinct strike position when threatened. These are some of the

least aggressive rattlesnakes and do not attack unless provoked.

Finally, snakes are very beautiful and interesting animals but need to be treated with

respect and handled with care. There are over 3,000 species of snakes in the world and some

very venomous ones can be found in your very own backyard. When hiking or spending time in

the woods or by a body of water this summer make sure you keep your eyes peeled as well as

wear boots with a strong sole when hiking and watch before you step.
 Citations

“122: Native (US) Venomous Snakes and Lizards.” Native (US) Venomous Snakes and

Lizards | Goldfrank's Toxicologic Emergencies, 10e | AccessEmergency Medicine |

McGraw Hill Medical,

https://accessemergencymedicine.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?bookid=1163§ionid=6510

2317.

“5 Animals That Attack in the Canadian Wild | CBC News.” CBCnews, CBC/Radio

Canada, 1 Sept. 2011,

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/5-animals-that-attack-in-the-canadian-wild-1.985762.

“Prairie Rattlesnakes (U.S. National Park Service).” National Parks Service, U.S.

Department of the Interior, https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/prairie-rattlesnakes.htm.

Segal, Dayva. “Discover Every Type of Rattlesnake: The 40+ Types of Rattlesnakes.” AZ

Animals, 27 Jan. 2023,

https://a-z-animals.com/blog/discover-every-type-of-rattlesnake-the-45-types-of-rattlesnak

es/.

“Snakes on This Brazilian Island Are so Venomous, They Can Melt Human Flesh.” India

Today, India Today, 4 Nov. 2018,

https://www.indiatoday.in/education-today/gk-current-affairs/story/snake-island-ilha-da-qu

eimada-grande-brazil-1382414-2018-11-04.

Wexo, John Bonnett. “Snakes.” Colorado Mountain College,

https://cmc.marmot.org/Record/.b10671249.