Killing a snake doesn't help keep more snakes away, and even though you may be uneasy around snakes, they are important members of our ecosystem. State or federally protected species (e.g. Remove all rock and brush piles and keep grassy areas mowed short near the house. Sometimes homeowners find a snake shed in their basement, indicating that a snake is there. Cottonmouths eat fish, amphibians, reptiles, small mammals, and invertebrates. Anglers are required to report snakeheads kept but are not required to kill . By contrast, flu and pneumonia kill more than 1,000 a year in this state. On humid and hot days, they can be found away from water. This snake likes to hang out near rivers, wetlands, ponds, floodplains, and lakes. The eastern copperhead: Inhabiting virtually all parts of Virginia, the copperhead is one venomous snake you stand a decent chance of seeing if you spend time outdoors. They control rodent populations and serve as food for other animals. West Virginia's official state reptile enjoys . Other characteristics like head shape, patterning, and even defensive behaviors like tail rattling are also used by non-venomous snakes, so solely relying on these traits to identify a snake can be misleading. It is also illegal to kill protected species of snakes. Never release a snake found indoors in the cold winter months into the wild; snakes need to hibernate and wont be able to survive in the cold weather. There are many species of snakes that can be found in Virginia, including the black rat snake, the eastern garter snake, and the northern water snake. If you leave the resident snake alone, there are steps you can take to ensure you encounter the snake less frequently. canebrake rattlesnake) may never be killed under any circumstance. He didn't know it's illegal to kill a snake any snake in the state without a permit from the Department of Natural Resources. Permits are valid in the countys inland waters for which issued. Cottonmouths are large, stout, aquatic snakes that are found in the southeastern corner of Virginia. Cottonmouths are not out there looking to attack your fishing boat. The Virginia Marine Resources Commission enacted a ban on the possession of river herring in tidal waters, effective January 1, 2012, due to the collapse of the stock and in order to comply with an Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission directive. A special permit is required, and may be issued by the Department, if consistent with the Departments fish and wildlife management program, to import, possess, or sell the following non-native (exotic) amphibians, fish, mollusks, aquatic invertebrates, and reptiles: giant or marine toad, tongueless or African clawed frog, barred tiger salamander, gray tiger salamander, blotched tiger salamander, smallmouth buffalo, bigmouth buffalo, black buffalo, piranhas, Alabama bass, bighead carp, grass carp or white amur, red shiner, silver carp, black carp, rudd, tench, ruffe, snakeheads, air-breathing catfish, tilapia, swamp eel, tubenose goby, round goby, zebra mussel, New Zealand mudsnail, quagga mussel, rusty crayfish, Australian crayfish, marbled crayfish, Chinese mitten crab, alligators, caimans, brown tree snake, crocodiles, and gavials. The Wildlife Center receives a number of calls and e-mails requesting help with snake identification.
Thomas Layton Walton,
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