Transcript Snakes in Kansas

Unit III Reptiles and Turtles
Information
Introduction to Snakes
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Class Reptilia, Order Squamata
38 species of snakes in Kansas
Only 4 are venomous: Copperhead, Timber
Rattlesnake, Western (Prairie) Rattlesnake,
Massasauga
The venomous snakes we have are pit vipers,
meaning they have heat-sensing pits between
their nostrils and mouth, and they are like infrared detectors.
Snakes, cont.
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Many snakes are quite beneficial because they
keep rodent populations down. This is
important for us because not only do rodents
eat our crops, but since we and they are
mammals, we share many diseases, so we don’t
want to live with rodents in our environments.
Snakes are very fragile—they are ribs all the way
down and can be hurt very easily.
No reason to kill them! They are very beneficial
to us, and only the venomous ones need to be
carefully relocated by an expert handler.
Snakes, cont.
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Many die on roadways by cars and the
summertime heat can burn them.
Human are main predator because of
ignorance.
Many birds of prey eat snakes, some
turtles and mammals like raccoons and
skunks will also eat them.
Snakes, cont.
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Snakes are either constrictors, bite and grab, or
venomous. This describes the way they eat:
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Constrictors tighten around their prey so that their
prey cannot draw a full breath of air (ribs expand
when you breathe), and they eventually suffocate.
Bite and grab snakes simply swallow their prey whole
and alive.
Venomous snakes inject venom that actually begins
the digestive process, and by doing so, kills the prey.
They can track their prey by using the heat-sensing
pits and find them after they have stumbled off to
die. They usually don’t get very far.
Snakes, cont.
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Snakes have an excellent sense of smell. They
used a forked tongue (greater surface area) and
a special organ called a Jacobson’s organ, which
they insert their tongue into at the roof of their
mouth and “taste” the air. It is kind of a
combination of smelling and tasting.
Snakes typically have poor eyesight. They
usually detect movement rather than seeing the
clear animal.
Snakes have either keeled (rough) or smooth
scales.
Snakes, cont.
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Most are active in spring and fall. They hibernate in
winter underground or in rock crevices, and they
aestivate in summer (this is like hibernation but not as
prolonged—if it is a nice day, they will be out and
about).
Snakes mostly lay eggs, but some give “live” birth,
where they retain the eggs inside and the babies emerge
from the mother.
Snakes have weak jaw muscles. If you get bitten by a
non-venomous snake, they basically open their mouth
and hit you with their teeth. The bigger the snake, the
bigger their teeth, so it hurts more, but not like getting
bitten by a mammal with strong jaw muscles.
Snakes, cont.
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Snakes can unhinge their jaws to swallow prey items
larger than themselves.
Snakes are ectothermic, meaning “cold-blooded”. Their
body temperature same as the environment, they must
regulate their temperature by either basking in the sun
to warm up or by going underground to cool off.
Snakes shed their skin periodically—timing not based on
anything, they shed the outer layer as they grow. They
shed more often when more food is available and they
grow faster.
Snakes lay an amniote egg, it has the embryo inside
with a yolk sac for food, various membranes to protect
the growing embryo. They have a leathery-like shell.
Snakes, cont.
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How to identify snakes:
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Observe the scales: they will either be
smooth or “keeled”, where there is a ridge
that runs down the middle.
Most field guides are arranged by the pattern
you see on snakes.
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Solid colors, blotchy pattern, or stripes
Venomous snakes in Kansas
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As mentioned, we have four
species of venomous snakes in
Kansas:
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Copperhead—eastern 1/3 of KS
(pictured in the slide show)
Timber Rattlesnake—eastern 1/3
of KS (pictured below and in the
slide show)
Western (Prairie) Rattlesnake—
western ½ of KS
Massasauga—eastern 2/3 of KS
Venomous snakes in Kansas
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The only place that Cottonmouth snakes have ever
naturally occurred in Kansas is the Spring River in
eastern Cherokee County (extreme southeast corner of
Kansas). This area is part of the Ozark Plateau.
Cottonmouths are common in the Ozarks.
Western Diamondbacks have been introduced for
rattleshake round-ups, however they do not survive
here.
All venomous snakes in the U.S. (except coral snakes)
have a triangular-shaped head. This is because they
have large venom glands located at the back of their
heads that make their heads so much wider than their
neck.
Copperhead, venomous
Copperhead, venomous
Copperhead, venomous
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Family Crotalidae, the pit vipers
22-36” in length.
These are pit vipers, and have infrared, heat-sensing pits between
their nostrils and their mouth. They sense the warmth of their prey
extremely efficiently.
Very common in the eastern 1/3 of Kansas, but very secretive,
docile snake.
Most bites are from stepping on one or harassing one.
Venom is a neurotoxin. Affects the local area of the bite. No deaths
have been reported in Kansas from being bitten, but it does require
going to the hospital and it involves incredible pain.
Eats insects (especially cicadas), frogs, lizards, small birds, and
other snakes.
Timber Rattlesnake, venomous
Timber Rattlesnake, venomous
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Family Crotalidae, the pit vipers.
36-60” in length.
They also are pit vipers and have infrared, heat-sensing pits
between their nostrils and their mouth. They sense the warmth of
their prey extremely efficiently.
Threatened species in Kansas, although probably never very
numerous. Occurs in roughly the eastern 1/3 of Kansas.
Highly venomous. Has a hemotoxin—whole body responds to
venom. Very dangerous.
Will usually warn first by rattling its tail.
Lives on south-facing rocky slopes and ravines, but also found at
woodland edge.
Eats primarily rodents.
Prairie Rattlesnake, venomous
Prairie Rattlesnake, venomous
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Family Crotalidae, the pit vipers.
35-40” in length.
They also are pit vipers and have infrared, heat-sensing
pits between their nostrils and their mouth. They sense
the warmth of their prey extremely efficiently.
35-45” in length.
Lives in western half of Kansas.
Active from April to October.
Unlike the Timber Rattlesnake, is quite aggressive and
has a nasty disposition. It invariably rattles when
approached too closely, and should be avoided.
Eats rats, mice, gophers, and young prairie dogs.
Black Rat Snake
Black Rat Snake
Juvenile black
rat snakes have
a distinct pattern
that they lose as
adults.
Black Rat Snake
(Western Rat Snake)
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Family Colubridae, harmless egg-laying snakes.
42-72” in length.
Able to digest feathers; most snakes cannot.
Patterned when young, solid black with whitish
belly as adult.
The black rat snake is a good tree climber and
will eat birds and bird eggs, and also eats
rodents.
Yellow-bellied Racer
Yellow-bellied Racer
Yellow-bellied Racer
Juvenile
Yellowbellied
Racers have
a distinct
pattern that
they lose as
adults.
Yellow-bellied Racer
(Eastern Racer)
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Family Colubridae , harmless egg-laying snakes.
23-50” in length.
Constrictor
One of the fastest snakes in Kansas.
Will thrash about before disappearing into the
brush.
Folk tale that it will “chase” you, but it doesn’t
actually chase you.
Difficult to catch because they are so fast.
Eats any small animal that moves.
Northern Watersnake
Northern Watersnake
Above is a juvenile, to
the left is an adult.
Notice the pattern is
very evident on the
juvenile and faded on
the adult.
Northern Watersnake
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Family Natricidae, harmless live-bearing snakes.
22-42” in length.
Very often mistaken for a copperhead or sometimes a
cottonmouth (we don’t have cottonmouths in Kansas!).
Lives in and around water. Bites aggressively
Has anticoagulant in saliva so you bleed a bit from the
bites.
Active in colder weather than most snakes, as cold as 47
degrees.
Mainly eats fish, but also frogs and toads.
Rough Green Snake
Rough Green Snake
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Family: Colubridae, harmless egg-laying
snakes.
22-32” in length.
Slender, graceful snake lives in trees and
shrubs, usually near water.
Found in roughly eastern 1/3 of Kansas.
Eats insects and spiders.
Red-sided Garter Snake
Red-sided Garter Snake
(Common Garter Snake)
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Family Natricidae, harmless live-bearing snakes.
16-28” in length.
Extremely common in E. Kansas, and often
found near water. Live birth
Females much larger than males. Several males
will follow scent of female for mating.
Eats mainly fish and frogs.
Prairie Kingsnake
Prairie Kingsnake
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Family Colubridae , harmless egg-laying snakes.
30-42” in length.
Like all kingsnakes, they are immune to venom.
Similar to great plains rat snake, but smaller
head, smaller eyes, and has a darker triangle
mark on top of head.
Eats primarily small mammals, small snakes and
lizards. They will eat other snakes, including
venomous snakes.
Milk Snake
Milk Snake
Note the vibrating tail. Many
snake species will vibrate their tails
when feeling threatened.
Milk Snake
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Family Colubridae , harmless egg-laying snakes.
16-28” in length.
A type of kingsnake
SINC species in Kansas—Species In Need of
Conservation. One step below Threatened
species
Is not venomous, but mimics the highly
venomous coral snake, so it is protected simply
by looking like something dangerous.
Eats small lizards, snakes and newborn mice.
Common Kingsnake
Common Kingsnake
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Family Colubridae , harmless egg-laying snakes.
36-48” in length.
Also called a speckled kingsnake.
Found throughout Kansas, in moist areas such
as woodland edge, low prairies, rocky hillsides
with trees.
Eats rodents, small birds, eggs and lizards and
snakes.
Bullsnake
Bullsnake
Bullsnake
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Family Colubridae , harmless egg-laying snakes.
37-72” in length.
Largest snake in Kansas
Can get up to 9 feet long, but commonly around 5-6 feet
long.
Often found in grazed prairie with shorter grasses.
Thick bodied snake, often when threatened it lets out a
long, loud hiss that sounds similar to a rattlesnake rattle.
One of the most beneficial snakes around due to the
large amount of rodents that it eats.
Lined Snake
Lined Snake
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Family Natricidae, harmless live-bearing
snakes.
9-15” in length.
Lives in about the eastern ¾ of Kansas, in
hillside prairies and woodland edge, and in
towns beneath debris.
Feeds exclusively on earthworms.
Ringneck Snake
Ringneck Snake
Ringneck Snake
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Family Dipsadidae, slender rear-fanged snakes.
10-15” in length.
Curls tail up to show colorful underside as a
defense posture
Very common under rocks and fallen logs,
especially in wooded areas.
Eats insects and worms, extremely hard to keep
in captivity because it eats food too small for
people to catch and keep.
Texas Brown Snake
Texas Brown Snake
Texas Brown Snake
(Brown Snake)
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Family Natricidae, harmless live-bearing snakes.
9-13” in length.
Lives in moist woodlands and woodland edge
(like ringnecks)
Eats only native earthworms—not the European
kind found in yards and bait shops (yes, there is
a difference).
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Non-native worms have very, very small “hairs” on
them called setae so these snakes won’t eat them.
Western
Hognose
Snake
Western Hognose Snake
Western Hognose Snake
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Family Xenodontidae, robust rear-fanged snakes.
15-25” in length.
Western Hognose found throughout western 2/3 of the
state. Eastern Hognose rarer, but found throughout
most of the state.
Both are protected—Threatened species
Plays dead when predators mess with them: they flatten
out their heads, roll onto their backs, musk and can even
pop blood vessels in their mouths to “bleed” so they look
very dead.
Eastern Hognose eats primarily toads, while the Western
Hognose eats mostly rodents.
Western Worm Snake
Western
Worm Snake
Western Worm Snake
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Family Xenodontidae, robust rear-fanged snakes.
7.5-11” in length.
Lives in eastern 1/3 of Kansas.
Found beneath limestone rocks or in the loose,
damp soil of wooded or partly wooded hillsides.
Mates during April and May.
Eats earthworms, almost exclusively.
Great Plains Rat
Snake
Great Plains Rat Snake
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Family Colubridae, harmless egg-laying
snakes.
24-48” in length.
Lives throughout most of Kansas.
Primarily nocturnal, prowling for food;
during the day remains hidden beneath
rocks or in caves and crevices.
Eats small rodents and birds. Eats bats in
areas where caves are near.
Coachwhip
Coachwhip
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Family Colubridae, harmless egg-laying snakes.
27-36” in length.
Lives throughout southwest Kansas and a few
places in northwest Kansas.
Found in open grassland, pasture, and prairie
areas in summer and rocky hillsides in summer
and fall.
Mates in May.
Hunts by sight and eats any small animal that
moves.
Introduction to Lizards
Class Reptilia
 13 native species of lizards in Kansas.
 Lizards are a highly variable group.
 They all have teeth, scales covering their bodies, eyelids
covering their eyes, and external ear openings.
 Lizards are very similar to snakes, and are currently
classified in the same order: Squamata.
 Many lizards have fracture planes in their tails that allow
their tails to pop off if a predator grabs a hold, and the
body can then get away. They will grow new tails.
Five-lined Skink
Five-lined Skink
Five-lined Skink
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Family Scincidae, the skinks
5-7” in length.
Found in eastern 1/3 of Kansas
Habitat is open, rocky, cut-over forests
with patchy leaf cover.
Carnivorous; eats invertebrates and very
small vertebrates such as baby mice or
smaller lizards.
Great Plains Skink
Great Plains Skink
Great Plains Skink
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Family Scincidae, the skinks
6 ½-9” in length
Habitat is open rocky hillsides with low
vegetation. Avoids sandy areas.
Eats beetles, roaches, grasshoppers,
spiders and snails.
Western Slender Glass-lizard
Western
Slender
Glass-lizard
Western Slender Glass-lizard
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Family Anguidae, the glass lizards
The largest lizard in Kansas. Does not have legs. The tail makes up
about 2/3 of the total length.
22-36” in length.
Habitat is tallgrass prairie, sand prairie, open woodlands and
woodland edge, frequently near streams or ponds.
Called a glass lizard because it habitually loses its tail when
grabbed, and sometimes the tail breaks into several squirming
pieces that attract the predators attention while the body gets away.
The lizard will grow a new tail, but never as long as the original one.
Eats insects, spiders, snails, frogs, snakes and newborn small
mammals.
Collared Lizard
Collared Lizard
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Family Crotaphytidae, the Collared and Leopard
Lizards
Males are more brightly colored than the
females.
8-12” in length.
Habitat is rocky areas on plains and near
woodlands.
Breeds in May and June.
Eats grasshoppers, moths, beetles, spiders,
wasps, cicadas, and smaller lizards.
Six-lined Racerunner
Six-lined Racerunner
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Family Teiidae, the Racerunners and Whiptails
Has seven light stripes running down the back,
one in the middle and three on each side.
6-8” in length.
Habitat is dry, open, sandy areas with little leafy
vegetation.
Requires warmer weather than most other
species.
Breed in May and June.
Eats spiders, snails, and small insects.
Introduction to Turtles, cont.
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Teeth are absent in all turtles, and rather they have a
sharp ridge along the beak.
They do have jaw muscles, and can bite very hard.
Snapping turtles and soft-shell turtles can extend their
extremely long necks and bite hands holding them along
the sides of their shells. The only way to safely move
one of these turtles is by holding them by the base of
the tail and lifting gently to move a short distance (such
as across a road).
Turtles are in great decline across the country, primarily
due to being killed trying to cross roads.
Red-eared Slider
Red-eared Slider
Red-eared Slider (juvenile)
Red-eared Slider
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Family Emydidae, the box and basking turtles
Semi-aquatic.
5-8” in length.
Found in nearly every permanent body of water.
Prefers quiet water with soft mud bottoms.
Omnivorous: eats plants and animals with equal
preference. Known to consume insects,
tadpoles, fishes, snails, crayfishes, and aquatic
vegetation.
Western Painted Turtle
Painted Turtle Laying Eggs
Western Painted Turtle
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Family Emydidae, the box and basking turtles
Semi-aquatic
3 ½ - 7” in length.
Habitat is slow-moving shallow streams, ponds
and lakes with soft bottoms and an abundance
of aquatic plants and half-submerged logs, and
often seen basking on logs.
Omnivorous, eats plants and animals, dead or
alive.
Spiny Softshell
Spiny Softshell
Spiny Softshell
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Family Trionychidae, the softshell turtles
Semi-aquatic.
Upper shell is flexible with soft edges
5-17” in length.
Fast swimmer, has an aggressive, nasty
temper and will bite readily.
Carnivorous, eats insects, worms, crayfish,
fish, tadpoles and frogs.
Common Snapping Turtle
Common Snapping Turtle
Common
Snapping Turtle
Photo by Charles H. Warren/NBII
This turtle
developed with
a pop can ring
stuck around its
shell
Common Snapping Turtle
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Family Chelydridae, the snapping turtles
Semi-aquatic.
Has rigid upper shell and much smaller lower shell; very
long, saw-toothed tail.
8-14” in length.
Snapping turtles have a nasty disposition and large
individuals can inflict an incredibly painful bite. They can
extend their necks roughly the length of their shell and
can reach to both sides of their shell.
Omnivorous, and eats whatever is available including
plants, small vertebrates and invertebrates, and carrion.
Ornate Box Turtle
Ornate Box Turtle
Ornate Box Turtle
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Family Emydidae, the box and basking turtles
Kansas State Reptile
4-5” in length.
Has a short tail and rigid shells, a distinct movable hinge
on lower shell allowing it to close around body, four
claws on hind foot. Upper shell is dark brown with
yellow lines.
During an entire day, an individual may travel between
200 and 300 feet.
Primarily carnivorous, eating many invertebrates, but will
also eat fruits and berries.
References
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Species information from:
• Amphibians & Reptiles in Kansas, by Joseph T.
Collins.