birds and other snakes. Some snakes 

 eat termites and insect larvae. 



All snakes swallow their prey 

 whole. Constrictors, such as the rat 

 snake or kingsnake, coil themselves 

 around their prey, squeezing the breath 

 out of their victim and causing 

 asphyxiation. Other constrictors crush 

 prey against the sides of their dens or 

 burrows. And of course, poisonous 

 snakes inject their prey with venom. 



When most snakes are threatened, 

 they will bite their enemies. But they 

 have many other preliminary ways of 

 protection. The rattlesnake uses its 

 well-known rattle, each segment of 

 which is part of a shed skin, to warn 

 potential predators away. The cotton- 

 mouth throws open its mouth to reveal 

 its whitish lining. Other snakes flatten 

 and spread their necks to appear large 

 and aggressive or hiss. Colored 

 markings also warn that certain snakes 

 are armed and dangerous. 



For more 

 information 

 about snakes: 



• Martof, B.S., W.M. Palmer, J.R. 

 Bailey, and J.R. Harrison III. 1980. 

 Amphibians and Reptiles of the 

 Carolinas and Virginia. University of 

 North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill, 

 N.C. 264 pp. 



•Palmer, William M. 1983. 

 Poisonous Snakes of North Carolina. 

 State Museum of Natural Sciences, 

 N.C. Department of Agriculture, 

 Raleigh, N.C. 22 pp. 



• Palmer, W.M. and A.L. 

 Braswell. 1995. Reptiles of North 

 Carolina. University of North Carolina 

 Press, Chapel Hill, N.C. 412 pp. 



• Poisonous Spiders and Snakes 

 in North Carolina. Poster published 

 and distributed by N.C. State Museum 

 of Natural Sciences, Box 29555, 

 Raleigh, N.C. 27626-0555. □ 



Snakes of North Carolina 



Eastern Worm Snake, Carphophis amoenus amoenus 

 Northern Scarlet Snake, Cemophora coccinea copei 

 Racer, Coluber constrictor 

 Southern Ringneck Snake, Diadophis punctatus punctatus 

 Corn Snake, Elaphe guttata guttata 

 Yellow Rat Snake, Elaphe obsoleta guadrivittata 

 Eastern Mud Snake, Farancia abacura abacura 

 Rainbow Snake, Farancia erytrogramma erytro gramma 

 Eastern Hognose Snake, Heterodon platirhinos 

 Southern Hognose Snake, Heterodon simus 

 Mole Kingsnake, Lampropeltis calligaster rhombomaculata 

 Eastern Kingsnake, Lampropeltis getula getula 

 Outer Banks Kingsnake, Lampropeltis getula sticticeps 

 Scarlet Kingsnake, Lampropeltis triangulum elapsoides 

 Eastern Coachwhip, Masticophis flagellum flegellum 

 Redbelly Water Snake, Nerodia erythrogaster erythrogaster 

 Banded Water Snake, Nerodia fasciata fasciata 

 Northern Water Snake, Nerodia sipedon sipedon 

 Carolina Salt Marsh Snake, Nerodia sipedon williamengelsi 

 Brown Water Snake, Nerodia taxispilota 

 Rough Green Snake, Opheodrys aestivus 

 Northern Pine Snake, Pituophis melanoleucus melanoleucus 

 Glossy Crayfish Snake, Regina rigida rigida 

 Pine Woods Snake, Rhadinaea flavilata 

 Carolina Swamp Snake, Seminatrix pygaea paludis 

 Brown Snake, Storeria dekayi 

 Redbelly Snake, Storeria occipitomaculata 

 Southeastern Crowned Snake, Tantilla coronata 

 Eastern Ribbon Snake, Thamnophis sauritus sauritus 

 Eastern Garter Snake, Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis 

 Rough Earth Snake, Virginia striatula 

 Eastern Earth Snake, Virginia valeriae valeriae 



Poisonous Snakes of North Carolina 



Eastern Coral Snake, Micrurus fidvius fulvius 

 Copperhead, Agkistrodon contortrix 

 Eastern Cottonmouth, Agkistrodon piscivorus piscivorus 

 Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake, Crotalus adamanteus 



Timber Rattlesnake, Crotalus horridus 

 Carolina Pigmy Rattlesnake, Sistrurus miliarius miliarias 



COASTWATCH 9 



