Stay Safe While Exploring Tennessee’s Great Outdoors: A Guide to Snakes You May Encounter

Whether it's hiking, camping, or fishing, as you head out to enjoy outdoor recreation you need to be aware that you aren't the only one enjoying the warmer temperatures.

Spending Time Outdoors Means Potential for Snake Encounters

The arrival of spring and summer means the possibility of a snake encounter when you are enjoying time in nature. There are a number of snake species that call Tennessee home. And while most of the snake species in Tennessee are harmless to humans, there are a few species that are actually venomous.

Indiscriminately Killing Snakes is Illegal in Tennessee

As it turns out, regardless of species, all snakes in Tennessee are considered to be protected and it is illegal to kill them unless they pose an immediate threat to your health.

Snakes Are Important for the Tennessee Ecosystem

Snakes are important creatures and they play an important role in our ecosystem. They are excellent at managing the rodent population and they provide a source of food for other predators like bobcats, coyotes, hawks, and owls.

Get our free mobile app

There are 32 Species of Snakes in Tennessee

There are 32 species of snakes that call Tennessee home, according to the Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency, most of which are non-venomous. The University of Tennessee says that the non-venomous snakes have "round pupils" and they say the scales found "on the underside of the tail are divided in two." The 28 species of non-venomous snakes found in Tennessee include:

Coachwhip

Common Gartersnake

Common Kingsnake

DeKay's Brownsnake

Diamond-backed Watersnake

Eastern Hog-nosed Snake

Eastern Ribbonsnake

Gray Ratsnake

Milksnake

Mississippi Green Watersnake

North American Racer

Northern Watersnake

Pinesnake

Plain-Bellied Watersnake

Red-Bellied Mudsnake

Red-Bellied Snake

Red Cornsnake

Ring-necked Snake

Rough Earthsnake

Rough Greensnake

Scarletsnake

Smooth Earthsnake

Southeastern Crowned Snake

Southern Watersnake

Queen Snake

Western Ribbonsnake

Wormsnake

Yellow-Bellied Kingsnake

Only Four Venomous Species of Snakes in Tennessee

If you're like me and don't want to get close enough to see if its scales are divided or its pupils are round, then it may be much easier to just remember that there are four species of venomous snakes in Tennessee. All four venomous species in Tennessee fall into the category known as "pit vipers."

Where Venomous Snakes are Found in Tennessee

Of the four venomous snakes in Tennessee, only two of them are found throughout the entire state. The other two are only found in the western region of the state.

Copperhead (sometimes called a Highland Moccasin) is found throughout Tennesse

Cottonmouth (sometimes called a Water Moccasin) is found in Western Tennessee

Timber Rattlesnake (including a species known as a canebreak rattlesnake) is found throughout Tennessee

Pygmy Rattlesnake is found in Western Tennessee.

What To Do If You Encounter a Snake in Tennessee

If you encounter a snake in the wild, your best bet is going to be to leave it alone. If you are bitten by a snake, you should seek medical treatment immediately. According to The University of Tennessee, of the approximately 50,000 snakebites annually in the United States, only 10-12 of those result in death, and those that do are the result of bites from snakes not found in Tennessee. They say more people die from wasp stings and lightning strikes than venomous snake bites.

[Source: University of Tennessee]